Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । कथं नित्या भगवती हरपत्नी यशस्विनी । योगसिद्धिं सुमहतीं प्राप मासचतुष्टये

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kathaṃ nityā bhagavatī harapatnī yaśasvinī | yogasiddhiṃ sumahatīṃ prāpa māsacatuṣṭaye

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—നിത്യ മംഗളമയിയായ, യശസ്വിനിയായ, ഹരന്റെ പത്നിയായ ഭഗവതി നാലുമാസ വ്രതകാലത്ത് അതിമഹത്തായ യോഗസിദ്ധി എങ്ങനെ പ്രാപിച്ചു?

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता; speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• नित्या: everlasting, constant
• नित्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भगवती: the Blessed Goddess
• भगवती: Karta (कर्ता; subject of implied ‘प्राप’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरपत्नी: wife of Hara (Śiva)
• हरपत्नी: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: हरस्य पत्नी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासपदं (appositional)

• यशस्विनी: glorious, renowned
• यशस्विनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• योगसिद्धिम्: yogic attainment
• योगसिद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योगस्य सिद्धिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुमहतीम्: very great
• सुमहतीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (योगसिद्धिम्)

• प्राप: attained
• प्राप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मासचतुष्टये: for (within) a set of four months
• मासचतुष्टये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान; purpose/for duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मासानां चतुष्टयम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे (for the period)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding vīṇā, asks Brahmā with folded hands; a faint backdrop shows the rainy-season sky indicating Cāturmāsya; a subtle icon of Pārvatī in meditation foreshadowing the answer.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bhagavatī (Pārvatī)
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya is presented as a powerful sacred season in which disciplined observance can culminate in profound spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya setting, though the verse itself focuses on Pārvatī’s observance rather than a single spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces the theme of a four-month vrata leading to yoga-siddhi; details follow in subsequent verses.