Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

भोजनं तत्प्रशंसंति नित्यमेतन्न संशयः । तस्माच्चतुर्षु मासेषु पिबन्ति जलमेव हि

Transliteration

bhojanaṃ tatpraśaṃsaṃti nityametanna saṃśayaḥ | tasmāccaturṣu māseṣu pibanti jalameva hi

Translation

അവർ അതിനെ തന്നെയാണ് ആഹാരമായി നിത്യവും പ്രശംസിക്കുന്നത്—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല. അതിനാൽ ആ നാല് മാസങ്ങളിൽ അവർ സത്യമായും ജലം മാത്രമേ പാനം ചെയ്യൂ.

Word by Word

• bhojanam: food/eating
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (agreeing with bhojanam)

• praśaṃsanti: they praise
• praśaṃsanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — Indeclinable “always/constantly”

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• na: no/not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle) — Indeclinable negator

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Ablative, Singular

• caturṣu: in four
• caturṣu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन — Masculine, Locative, Plural (numeral used adjectivally)

• māseṣu: in (the) months
• māseṣu: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन — Masculine, Locative, Plural

• pibanti: they drink
• pibanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle) — Indeclinable “only/just”

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/Reason particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निपात (causal/emphatic particle) — Indeclinable “indeed/for”

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetic-pilgrims in the rainy season keep a water-only regimen; a simple scene of a person drinking from a small vessel, with monsoon clouds and a temple in the background; others praise the practice.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Druma-devatāḥ (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint and simplicity in sacred time are portrayed as nourishing and purifying—water becomes a sanctified sustenance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, while the verse teaches a Cāturmāsya discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata-like discipline is indicated: during the four months, subsist on (or prioritize) water as the primary intake for the tree-deities; by extension, devotees may emulate austerity.