Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शुश्रूषा चास्य कर्तव्या सर्व दैव वरानने । चातुर्मासीव्रतं यावद्देवतार्चनपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

śuśrūṣā cāsya kartavyā sarva daiva varānane | cāturmāsīvrataṃ yāvaddevatārcanapūrvakam

Translation

ഹേ സുന്ദരമുഖീ, ചാതുർമാസ്യവ്രതം നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും—ദേവതാരാധനയിൽ നിന്ന് ആരംഭിച്ച്—അവനു എല്ലാ വിധത്തിലും ശുശ്രൂഷ (സേവ) നിർബന്ധമായി ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• शुश्रूषा: service/attendance
• शुश्रूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कर्तव्या: must be done
• कर्तव्या: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• सर्व: O all-... / O wholly (one)
• सर्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दैव: O divine one
• दैव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; (vocative epithet)

• वरानने: O fair-faced lady
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आनन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (वरम् आननम् यस्य/या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• चातुर्मासीव्रतम्: the Cāturmāsya vow
• चातुर्मासीव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मासी + व्रत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (cāturmāsyāḥ vratam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• यावत्: until / for as long as
• यावत्: Adverbial (अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (as long as / until)

• देवतार्चनपूर्वकम्: preceded by worship of deities
• देवतार्चनपूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवता + अर्चन + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (देवतायाः अर्चनं पूर्वं यस्य = preceded by worship of deities); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator/instructor (addressing a woman—likely the queen/princess assisting the vow)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: varānane (a fair-faced interlocutor; likely a queen/attendant within the story frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee/queen addressed as ‘varānane’ listens as instructions are given: a shrine with lamps and flowers is shown; alongside, the sage is served with food/water respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Devatāḥ (deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service becomes sacred when anchored in worship; vrata is sustained by devotion, discipline, and attentive care for the holy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it prescribes conduct within the chapter’s tīrtha-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śuśrūṣā throughout the Cāturmāsya-vrata, with devatārcana (deity worship) as the foundational practice.