Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्यव्रतं तेन गृहीतं तत्पुरस्तदा । प्रार्थितस्तु ततो विप्राः शाकल्यस्तैन भूभुजा

Transliteration

cāturmāsyavrataṃ tena gṛhītaṃ tatpurastadā | prārthitastu tato viprāḥ śākalyastaina bhūbhujā

Translation

Là, en présence du Seigneur, il prit le vœu de Cāturmāsya. Puis le roi pria les brāhmanes—tout particulièrement Śākalya—d’accomplir les rites requis.

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्यव्रतम्: the Cāturmāsya vow
• चातुर्मास्यव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य + व्रत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चातुर्मास्यं व्रतम् = four-month vow)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गृहीतम्: undertaken
• गृहीतम्: Kriya (Predicate to object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘taken/undertaken’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म ‘व्रतम्’ इति

• तत्पुरः: before him
• तत्पुरः: Adhikarana (Proximity/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front of him/thereupon’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रार्थितः: was requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-अर्थ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘requested’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/and then
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अनन्तरार्थक

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शाकल्यः: Śākalya
• शाकल्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; पाठे ‘तैन’ = ‘तेन’ (वर्णविकल्प)

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘भूभुज्’ = राजा (earth-enjoyer)

Speaker

Sūta (narratorial voice, as typical in Māhātmya sections)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaśāyī Hari-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the sanctum of Jalaśāyī Hari, the king takes a solemn saṅkalpa for Cāturmāsya; brāhmaṇas stand with darbha, water-pot, and manuscripts, with Śākalya prominent as chief officiant.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya-vrata
• Śākalya
• brāhmaṇas
• king (bhūbhuj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) become spiritually potent when undertaken with humility, in a sacred presence, and supported by dharmic guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kṣetra where Jalaśāyī Hari is present; the vow is taken directly before the deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking the Cāturmāsya vow and engaging qualified brāhmaṇas (including Śākalya) for rites.