Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

क्षीराब्धिं संपरित्यज्य सदा मासचतुष्टयम् । श्रूयतां च फलं यत्स्यात्तस्मिन्नाराधिते विभो

Transliteration

kṣīrābdhiṃ saṃparityajya sadā māsacatuṣṭayam | śrūyatāṃ ca phalaṃ yatsyāttasminnārādhite vibho

Translation

ക്ഷീരസമുദ്രം വിട്ട് നാലുമാസം സദാ (ഇവിടെ) വസിക്കുന്നു. ഇനി കേൾക്കുക— ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് ആ വിഭുവിനെ ആരാധിച്ചാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം എന്തെന്നു.

Word by Word

• क्षीराब्धिम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• सम्परित्यज्य: having completely abandoned
• सम्परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-परि-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्); ‘having completely abandoned’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मासचतुष्टयम्: a set of four months
• मासचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मासानां चतुष्टयम्)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे ‘let it be heard’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• फलम्: result, fruit
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative (qualifying फलम्)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/condition)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• आराधिते: when worshipped
• आराधिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘when (he) is worshipped’ (locative absolute sense with तस्मिन्)

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration; immediate context from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Janārdana’s Cāturmāsya abode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic transition: Vishnu associated with the Milk Ocean is shown ‘arriving’ or manifesting in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra for four months; pilgrims worship through monsoon into autumn, awaiting the promised fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīrābdhi (Milk Ocean)
• Vibhu (Lord)
• Cāturmāsya (implied four months)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The four-month sacred season is presented as a special devotional window, with amplified results when worship is performed at the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues the glorification of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where Janārdana is associated with the four-month period.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (ārādhana) of the Lord during the four months (māsacatuṣṭaya/Cāturmāsya) is highlighted.