Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

गुरो स मासः संप्राप्तः प्रावृट्कालो भयावहः । आगमिष्यति यत्रासौ लब्धपादो वृकासुरः

Transliteration

guro sa māsaḥ saṃprāptaḥ prāvṛṭkālo bhayāvahaḥ | āgamiṣyati yatrāsau labdhapādo vṛkāsuraḥ

Translation

ഓ ഗുരുദേവാ, ആ മാസം എത്തിച്ചേർന്നു—ഭയങ്കരമായ മഴക്കാലം. ആ സമയത്ത് പാദബലം വീണ്ടെടുത്ത വൃകാസുരൻ അവൻ എവിടെയുണ്ടോ അവിടേക്കുതന്നെ വരും.

Word by Word

• guro: of the teacher (Bṛhaspati)
• guro: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• māsaḥ: month
• māsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• saṃprāptaḥ: has arrived
• saṃprāptaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+pra√āp (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate: has arrived)

• prāvṛṭkālaḥ: the rainy season time
• prāvṛṭkālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāvṛṭ + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रावृट्-समये कालः) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• bhayāvahaḥ: bringing fear, dreadful
• bhayāvahaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of prāvṛṭkālaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; √vah)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भयं आवहति इति) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• āgamiṣyati: will come
• āgamiṣyati: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Future, 3rd person singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• labdhapādaḥ: having regained his foot/leg
• labdhapādaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of vṛkāsuraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labdha (√labh + kta) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लब्धः पादः यस्य/लब्धपादः) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• vṛkāsuraḥ: Vṛkāsura
• vṛkāsuraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛka + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वृक-नामकः असुरः) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Devarāja (Indra) addressing Bṛhaspati (Guru)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worried group addresses their guru as dark monsoon clouds gather; lightning and swollen waters suggest danger, while the looming figure of Vṛkāsura is hinted in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• prāvṛṭ (rainy season)
• Vṛkāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time and season can intensify danger; hence dharma requires vigilance and seeking guidance before threats re-emerge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse; it focuses on seasonal timing and the return of Vṛkāsura.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a warning tied to the arrival of the rainy season and the demon’s recovery.