Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रद्धां धर्मयुतां नाम स्मृतिपूतानि कारयेत् । कर्माणि सकलानीह चातुर्मास्ये गुणोत्तरे

Transliteration

śraddhāṃ dharmayutāṃ nāma smṛtipūtāni kārayet | karmāṇi sakalānīha cāturmāsye guṇottare

Translation

Qu’on nourrisse la foi unie au dharma, et qu’on accomplisse ici toutes les actions comme purifiées par le souvenir sacré. Durant l’excellente saison sainte des quatre mois (Cāturmāsya), une telle conduite devient particulièrement méritoire.

Word by Word

• श्रद्धाम्: faith
• श्रद्धाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• धर्मयुताम्: endowed with dharma
• धर्मयुताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + युत (कृदन्त; युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मेण युता)

• नाम: indeed/by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/quotative: ‘indeed/by name’)

• स्मृतिपूतानि: purified by remembrance/tradition
• स्मृतिपूतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति + पूत (कृदन्त; पू धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्मृत्या पूतानि)

• कारयेत्: should cause (to be done)
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘should cause to be done/should have done’)

• कर्माणि: rites/actions
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सकलानि: all
• सकलानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्माणि इति विशेष्य)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (here/in this context)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गुणोत्तरे: excellent in qualities/superior
• गुणोत्तरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुणेषु उत्तरम्/श्रेष्ठम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction; likely Brahmā in the ongoing dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha ‘iha’ (contextual; likely the same saṅgama region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim community during the four holy months: simple living, daily bathing, prayer, and study; a calendar-like seasonal atmosphere with monsoon clouds and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Dharma
• Śraddhā
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith must be dharma-aligned, and remembrance of the sacred should purify every action—especially during Cāturmāsya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the emphasis is on the sanctity of time (Cāturmāsya) within a pilgrimage-mahātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform all karmas with śraddhā and dharma, keeping them smṛti-pūta—purified through devotional recollection—during Cāturmāsya.