Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वर्षाकाले च संप्राप्ते भक्तियोगे जनार्दने । महेश्वरेऽथ दुर्गायां न भूयः स्तनपो भवेत्

Transliteration

varṣākāle ca saṃprāpte bhaktiyoge janārdane | maheśvare'tha durgāyāṃ na bhūyaḥ stanapo bhavet

Translation

മഴക്കാലം വന്നപ്പോൾ ജനാർദനനിൽ ഭക്തിയോഗത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുകയും, അതുപോലെ മഹേശ്വരനിലും ദുർഗയിലും ഭക്തിയോടെ ഇരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ വീണ്ടും സ്തനപൻ (പുനർജന്മം) ആകുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• वर्षाकाले: in the rainy season
• वर्षाकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन. समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वर्षायाः कालः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√prāp (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (locative absolute sense: “when (it) has arrived”)

• भक्तियोगे: in devotion-yoga
• भक्तियोगे: Adhikarana (Domain/condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन. समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भक्तेः योगः)

• जनार्दने: in/unto Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दने: Adhikarana (Object of devotion/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (epithet of Viṣṇu)

• महेश्वरे: in/unto Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/Focus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव (particle: “then/now”)

• दुर्गायाम्: in/unto Durgā
• दुर्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Focus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक (adverb: “again/further”)

• स्तनपः: one who suckles (infant)
• स्तनपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stanapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame (deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon setting: rain clouds, lush landscape; a devotee performs worship to three shrines/icons—Janārdana, Maheśvara, and Durgā—symbolizing harmonized devotion; the motif of ‘no longer a suckling’ is shown as a broken cycle of rebirth (a wheel stilled).

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Maheśvara
• Durgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady bhakti-yoga—directed to Viṣṇu, Śiva, and the Goddess—is presented as a path that cuts off rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse; it frames a seasonal devotional discipline within the broader māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain bhakti-yoga during varṣākāla (rainy season), oriented toward Janārdana, Maheśvara, and Durgā.