Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

गृहाश्रमपरित्यागी बाह्या श्रमनिषेवकः । चातुर्मास्यं हरिप्रीत्यै न मातुर्जठरे शिशुः

Transliteration

gṛhāśramaparityāgī bāhyā śramaniṣevakaḥ | cāturmāsyaṃ hariprītyai na māturjaṭhare śiśuḥ

Translation

ഗൃഹാശ്രമം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ബാഹ്യശ്രമ-തപസ്സിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടു, ഹരിപ്രീതിക്കായി ചാതുർമാസ്യവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവൻ വീണ്ടും മാതൃഗർഭത്തിൽ ശിശുവായി ജനിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• गृहाश्रमपरित्यागी: one who has renounced the householder-āśrama
• गृहाश्रमपरित्यागी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + परित्यागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—गृहाश्रमस्य परित्यागी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• बाह्यः: external/outward
• बाह्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• श्रमनिषेवकः: one who practices toil/austerity
• श्रमनिषेवकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—श्रमं निषेवते इति (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष)

• चातुर्मास्यम्: the Cāturmāsya observance (four-month vow)
• चातुर्मास्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• हरिप्रीत्यै: for the pleasure of Hari
• हरिप्रीत्यै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः—हरेः प्रीतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• जठरे: in the womb/belly
• जठरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शिशुः: a child/infant
• शिशुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A former householder leaves home, takes staff and waterpot, practices austerities during the four months, worshiping Hari; a symbolic broken chain of rebirth and a closed womb-lotus indicate cessation of re-embodiment.

Characters & Entities

• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vow-observance offered in devotion (to Hari) and strengthened by austerity is praised as leading beyond rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is stated; the focus is on the soteriological fruit of Cāturmāsya-bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing Cāturmāsya as a devotional vow for Hari, with renunciation and austerity.