Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । दीपोऽयं विष्णुभवने मन्त्रवद्विहितो नरैः । सदा विशेषफलदश्चातुर्मास्येऽधिकः कथम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | dīpo'yaṃ viṣṇubhavane mantravadvihito naraiḥ | sadā viśeṣaphaladaścāturmāsye'dhikaḥ katham

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ഭവനത്തിൽ മന്ത്രപൂർവ്വം വിധിപ്രകാരം മനുഷ്യർ ചെയ്യുന്ന ഈ ദീപാർപ്പണം എപ്പോഴും വിശേഷഫലദായകമാണ്; എന്നാൽ ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ അത് എങ്ങനെ കൂടുതൽ ഫലപ്രദമാകുന്നു?

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• dīpaḥ: lamp
• dīpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• viṣṇubhavane: in Viṣṇu’s abode/temple
• viṣṇubhavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu-bhavana (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + भवन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• mantravat: with mantras/ritually
• mantravat: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mantravat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त; adverb ‘as with mantra/according to mantra’)

• vihitaḥ: is prescribed/arranged
• vihitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विशेष्यस्य विधेयः

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• viśeṣaphaladaḥ: giving special results
• viśeṣaphaladaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśeṣa-phala-da (प्रातिपदिक; विशेष + फल + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विशेषणम्

• cāturmāsye: in Cāturmāsya
• cāturmāsye: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• adhikaḥ: more (effective)
• adhikaḥ: Karta-pravacaniya (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; dīpaḥ इति विधेय-विशेषणम्

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-bhavana (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding vīṇā, asks Brahmā why the mantra-performed lamp in Viṣṇu’s abode becomes especially fruitful in Cāturmāsya; background suggests monsoon clouds and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Viṣṇu
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts of devotion, when done as enjoined and with mantra, carry lasting merit; sacred seasons can intensify that merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of Viṣṇu’s abode/temple within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing temple worship rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-accompanied lamp offering (dīpadāna/dīpa-pradāna) in a Viṣṇu temple, with special emphasis on Cāturmāsya.