Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तथा महोत्सवः कार्यः शयने बोधने हरेः । चैत्रमासे विशेषेण संप्राप्ते विष्णुवासरे

Transliteration

tathā mahotsavaḥ kāryaḥ śayane bodhane hareḥ | caitramāse viśeṣeṇa saṃprāpte viṣṇuvāsare

Translation

“इसी प्रकार हरि के शयन और बोधन के समय महोत्सव करना चाहिए; और विशेषकर चैत्र मास में, जब विष्णुवार (गुरुवार) आए।”

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ) — 'likewise/also'

• महोत्सवः: a great festival
• महोत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महान् उत्सवः

• कार्यः: should be performed
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/कर्तव्यता); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'to be done/should be performed'

• शयने: at (the time of) sleeping
• शयने: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• बोधने: at (the time of) awakening
• बोधने: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• चैत्रमासे: in the month of Caitra
• चैत्रमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—चैत्रः मासः (in the month of Caitra)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—'especially'

• संप्राप्ते: when it has come/arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'when (it) has arrived/occurred' (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/locative absolute sense)

• विष्णुवासरे: on Viṣṇu’s day (Thursday)
• विष्णुवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—विष्णोः वासरः (on Viṣṇu’s day, i.e., Thursday)

Speaker

Viṣṇu/Hari (ritual instruction within tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakrapāṇi/Nara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Temple community/pilgrims addressed through the dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand temple festival: flags, lamps, musicians, priests performing ārati; icon of Hari/Cakrapāṇi honored during śayana and bodhana rites; Caitra brightness and Thursday auspiciousness emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Hari/Viṣṇu
• Caitra māsa
• Viṣṇuvāsara (Thursday)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through calendrical devotion—aligning temple worship and communal festivals with sacred times of Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Cakrapāṇi/Hari shrine described in this chapter’s Badarī-related tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hold a mahotsava at Hari’s śayana (ritual sleep) and bodhana (ritual awakening), especially in Caitra on Viṣṇuvāsara (Thursday).