Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अहिंसादि समादिष्टो धर्मस्तासां महाफलः । चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण त्रिदिवेशादिसेवया

Transliteration

ahiṃsādi samādiṣṭo dharmastāsāṃ mahāphalaḥ | cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa tridiveśādisevayā

Translation

അവർക്കായി അഹിംസ മുതലായവയിൽ ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന ധർമ്മം ഉപദേശിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; അതു മഹാഫലദായകം. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ, ദേവേന്ദ്രാദി ദിവ്യന്മാരുടെ ഭക്തിസേവയാൽ.

Word by Word

• ahiṃsādi: non-violence and the like
• ahiṃsādi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अहिंसा-आदि = non-violence etc.)

• samādiṣṭaḥ: enjoined
• samādiṣṭaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-उपसर्ग + ā-उपसर्ग + √diś-दिश् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘enjoined/ordained’

• dharmaḥ: dharma/duty
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• tāsām: of those (persons/things)
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• mahāphalaḥ: of great fruit/result
• mahāphalaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् फलम्)

• cāturmāsye: in the four-month period (Cāturmāsya)
• cāturmāsye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial instrumental: ‘especially’)

• tridiveśādisevayā: by service to the lord of heaven (Indra) and others
• tridiveśādisevayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridiveśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रिदिवेश-आदि-सेवा = service of the lord of heaven etc.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon Cāturmāsya setting: devotees refrain from harm, offer lamps and flowers, serve at a shrine; devas are symbolically honored through offerings and hymns.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā and allied virtues become especially powerful during Cāturmāsya when joined with sincere worship and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework; it emphasizes season-based merit (Cāturmāsya) rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of ahiṃsā and devotional service (sevā) to the devas, particularly during Cāturmāsya.