Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

आप्यायितं जगत्सर्वमाब्रह्मस्तंबसेवितम् । चातुर्मास्ये गृह स्थेन वानप्रस्थेन वा पुनः

Transliteration

āpyāyitaṃ jagatsarvamābrahmastaṃbasevitam | cāturmāsye gṛha sthena vānaprasthena vā punaḥ

Translation

ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള സേവയാൽ സമസ്ത ലോകവും—ബ്രഹ്മാവിൽ നിന്ന് പുല്ലിന്റെ തണ്ടുവരെ—പോഷിക്കപ്പെടുകയും നിലനിൽക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു; ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ ഗൃഹസ്ഥൻ ചെയ്താലും വാനപ്രസ്ഥൻ ചെയ്താലും അതേ പുണ്യം.

Word by Word

• आप्यायितम्: is nourished/satisfied
• आप्यायितम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√प्या (धातु) → आप्यायित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; जगत् इति विशेष्यः

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neut.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; जगत् इति विशेषणम्

• आ-ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-सेवितम्: served by all, from Brahmā down to a blade of grass
• आ-ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-सेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (अव्यय) + ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (कृदन्त; √सेव्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः: आ + (ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब) = ‘up to Brahmā and the grass/tuft’; तत्पश्चात् सेवितम् (P.P.P.), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; जगत् इति विशेष्यः

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• गृहस्थेन: by a householder
• गृहस्थेन: Karana (Agent/means in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• वानप्रस्थेन: by a forest-dweller
• वानप्रस्थेन: Karana (Agent/means in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: or)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb), पुनरुक्ति/पुनरर्थे (again/further)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic vertical tableau: Brahmā above, humans in the middle (householder and forest-dweller), and grasses below, all connected by a flourishing sacred tree whose care ‘feeds’ the cosmos; monsoon season cues.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Cāturmāsya
• Gṛhastha
• Vānaprastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed in sacred seasons benefits not only the individual but is envisioned as sustaining the cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is framed as tīrtha-mahātmya but highlights Cāturmāsya-based service rather than naming a distinct pilgrimage spot in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāturmāsya service/worship is recommended for multiple āśramas, explicitly gṛhastha and vānaprastha.