Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पापहा सर्वमासेषु चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः । इदं रहस्यं वेदानां पुराणानामनेकशः

Transliteration

pāpahā sarvamāseṣu cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ | idaṃ rahasyaṃ vedānāṃ purāṇānāmanekaśaḥ

Translation

Il détruit le péché en tous les mois—et tout particulièrement durant la sainte saison de Cāturmāsya. C’est un secret enseigné maintes fois dans les Vedas et dans de nombreux Purāṇas.

Word by Word

• पापहा: destroyer of sin
• पापहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हन्ति इति)

• सर्वमासेषु: in all months
• सर्वमासेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे मासाः)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya (four-month period)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: secret, esoteric teaching
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुराणानाम्: of the Purāṇas
• पुराणानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अनेकशः: in many ways / repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: multiplicity)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāturmāsya-kāla (sacred season)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon-to-autumn progression: four panels of the Cāturmāsya months with a devotee steadily chanting before a lamp and tulasī; above, palm-leaf manuscripts labeled ‘Veda’ and ‘Purāṇa’ signify the ‘rahasya’ teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Purāṇas
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timing matters in dharma: spiritual practice is always purifying, yet Cāturmāsya is singled out as exceptionally potent for removing sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse highlights a sacred time-period (Cāturmāsya) rather than a named geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends undertaking the praised spiritual discipline particularly during Cāturmāsya for heightened pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).