Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कृताहारो महापापैर्निर्मुक्तो जायते ध्रुवम् । हरिमुद्दिश्य मासेषु चतुर्षु च न संशयः

Transliteration

kṛtāhāro mahāpāpairnirmukto jāyate dhruvam | harimuddiśya māseṣu caturṣu ca na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Barangsiapa menjalani diet yang teratur, niscaya terbebas dari dosa-dosa besar—tanpa ragu—bila selama empat bulan ia berkaul dengan Hari sebagai Tuhan yang dituju.

Word by Word

• कृताहारः: one who has regulated/undertaken a diet
• कृताहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृतः आहारः यस्य/कृत-आहारः)

• महापापैः: by great sins
• महापापैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महच्च तत् पापम्)

• निर्मुक्तः: freed, released
• निर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मुक्त (मुच्-धातु, क्त; उपसर्गः निर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• जायते: is born / becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: having intended / aiming at
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); उपसर्गः उद्

• मासेषु: in the months
• मासेषु: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• चतुर्षु: in four
• चतुर्षु: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मासेषु)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

• न: not / no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee makes a formal saṅkalpa before a Viṣṇu image at the start of the four months, holding water in the palm; calendar-like symbols of four months appear; the aura suggests great sins dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity gains its full purifying force when dedicated to Hari; intention (uddeśa) and discipline together destroy grave sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse stresses the vow’s devotional orientation rather than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṛtāhāra (regulated diet) maintained across the four months, explicitly dedicated to Hari (Viṣṇu).