Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण सेविताः सौख्यकारकाः । तिलोदकेन वृक्षाणां सेचनं सर्वकाम दम्

Transliteration

cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa sevitāḥ saukhyakārakāḥ | tilodakena vṛkṣāṇāṃ secanaṃ sarvakāma dam

Translation

ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ പ്രത്യേകമായി സേവിച്ചാൽ അവ സുഖകാരകങ്ങളാകുന്നു. തിലോദകത്തോടെ വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾക്ക് ജലസേചനം ചെയ്യുന്നത് സർവകാമപ്രദമാണ്.

Word by Word

• cāturmāsye: in the Cāturmāsya period
• cāturmāsye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (during Cāturmāsya)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रकारेण (especially)

• sevitāḥ: (when) served
• sevitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sev (√sev धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having been served/attended)

• saukhya-kārakāḥ: causing happiness
• saukhya-kārakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘सुखं करोति’ इति अर्थे (causing happiness)

• tila-udakena: with sesame-water
• tila-udakena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (with sesame-water)

• vṛkṣāṇām: of trees
• vṛkṣāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• secanam: watering
• secanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: secana (प्रातिपदिक; √sic धातु से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sarva-kāma-dam: granting all desires
• sarva-kāma-dam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + da (√dā धातु; द/दम् ‘giving’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘secanam’ इति विशेषण; द-प्रत्ययान्त (bestowing)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees during monsoon months water a line of trees with sesame-infused water; the roots glow subtly; the atmosphere conveys happiness and fulfilled wishes; offerings are simple and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Tilodaka (sesame-water)
• Trees (Vṛkṣāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional ecology—serving trees in sacred time—creates both worldly well-being (sukha) and dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context, though the practice is applicable widely.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sechana (watering) of trees with tilodaka (sesame-water), especially during Cāturmāsya.