Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

जलं विष्णुर्जलत्वेन विष्णुरेव रसो महान् । तस्माद्वृक्षगतो विष्णुश्चातुर्मास्येऽघनाशनः

Transliteration

jalaṃ viṣṇurjalatvena viṣṇureva raso mahān | tasmādvṛkṣagato viṣṇuścāturmāsye'ghanāśanaḥ

Translation

ജലം ജലരൂപത്തിൽ വിഷ്ണുതന്നെ; വിഷ്ണുതന്നെ മഹാരസസ്വരൂപൻ. അതിനാൽ വൃക്ഷത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതനായ വിഷ്ണു, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ, പാപനാശകനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Samanadhikarana (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• जलत्वेन: as water / by water-nature
• जलत्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलत्व (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रसः: essence/juice
• रसः: Samanadhikarana (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of रसः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोग (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• वृक्षगतः: present in the tree
• वृक्षगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('gone into/located in the tree'); विशेषण (of विष्णुः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अघनाशनः: destroyer of sin
• अघनाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('destroyer of sin'); विशेषण (of विष्णुः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha recognizes Viṣṇu in shimmering water; nearby an Aśvattha stands as a living shrine during the rainy-season vow (Cāturmāsya).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Jala (water)
• Rasa
• Cāturmāsya
• Aśvattha (tree, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The chapter links devotion, ecology, and theology: recognizing Viṣṇu in water and in the tree makes Aśvattha-sevā a direct means of agha-nāśa (sin-destruction).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The living ‘tīrtha’ is the tree where Viṣṇu abides; the merit is heightened in the sacred season of Cāturmāsya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is specified; it reinforces that Aśvattha worship/service in Cāturmāsya is especially efficacious for removing sin.