Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

चंदनालेपसुभगं विष्णुं पश्यंति मानवाः । न ते यमपुरं यांति चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

caṃdanālepasubhagaṃ viṣṇuṃ paśyaṃti mānavāḥ | na te yamapuraṃ yāṃti cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ചന്ദനലേപംകൊണ്ട് ശോഭിക്കുന്ന വിഷ്ണുവിനെ ദർശിക്കുന്നവർ യമപുരത്തിലേക്കു പോകുകയില്ല—വിശേഷിച്ച് പുണ്യമായ ചാതുർമാസ്യകാലത്ത്.

Word by Word

• चन्दनालेपसुभगम्: beautiful due to sandal-paste anointing
• चन्दनालेपसुभगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + आलेप (प्रातिपदिक) + सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: विष्णुम्) — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present, 3rd person, Plural

• मानवाः: people, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; सर्वनाम

• यमपुरम्: Yama’s city (hell)
• यमपुरम्: Gati-Karma (Destination/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present, 3rd person, Plural

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya (four-month period)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgara Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon-season temple scene: Viṣṇu gleams with fresh sandalwood paste; pilgrims queue for darśana; in symbolic overlay, Yama’s city fades away from the devotee’s path.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Candana-lepa
• Yamapura
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional darśana of Viṣṇu—served with sandal paste—protects from fearful post-death states and strengthens auspicious destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the season (Cāturmāsya) and the act of darśana; it does not specify a named tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Beholding/worshiping Viṣṇu adorned with candana-lepa, particularly in Cāturmāsya, is recommended for protective merit.