Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अर्कपत्रेषु भुञ्जानोऽनुपमं लभते फलम् । वटपत्रेषु भोक्तव्यं चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

arkapatreṣu bhuñjāno'nupamaṃ labhate phalam | vaṭapatreṣu bhoktavyaṃ cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അർക്ക ഇലകളിൽ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിച്ചാൽ അനുപമമായ ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് വട (ആൽ) ഇലകളിൽ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अर्कपत्रेषु: on/in arka leaves
• अर्कपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्कस्य पत्रेषु)

• भुञ्जानः: eating
• भुञ्जानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अनुपमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुपमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम् इति)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• वटपत्रेषु: on/in banyan leaves
• वटपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वटस्य पत्रेषु)

• भोक्तव्यम्: should be eaten (one should eat)
• भोक्तव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-भावः (कर्तव्यता)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim under a banyan tree during monsoon season eats a simple offering on a large vaṭa leaf; nearby an arka shrub is shown, indicating alternative leaf practice; the scene emphasizes nature as ritual vessel.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Arka
• Vaṭa (banyan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even modest lifestyle choices, sanctified as vrata, are praised as powerful merit-generators in the purāṇic dharma framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily about Cāturmāsya practice rather than a named pilgrimage site, within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa sacred narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Eat on arka leaves; and especially in Cāturmāsya, use vaṭa (banyan) leaves for eating.