Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण ध्यानमात्रात्प्रमुच्यते । अमूर्त्तसेवनं गंगातीर्थध्यानाद्वरं परम्

Transliteration

cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa dhyānamātrātpramucyate | amūrttasevanaṃ gaṃgātīrthadhyānādvaraṃ param

Translation

വിശേഷിച്ച് ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ ധ്യാനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ വിമോചനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. അമൂർത്തന്റെ സേവനം (ഉപാസന) പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സാണ്—ഗംഗാതീർത്ഥധ്യാനത്തേക്കാളും ശ്രേഷ്ഠം.

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya (the four-month observance)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the Cāturmāsya period)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbially: 'especially')

• ध्यानमात्रात्: from mere meditation
• ध्यानमात्रात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dhyānasya mātram)

• प्रमुच्यते: is completely freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• अमूर्त्तसेवनम्: service/worship of the formless
• अमूर्त्तसेवनम्: Pradhāna-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + मूर्त + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (amūrtaṃ sevanaṃ = service of the formless)

• गंगातीर्थध्यानात्: than meditation on Gaṅgā-tīrtha
• गंगातीर्थध्यानात्: Apādāna (Comparison-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगा + तीर्थ + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gaṅgātīrthasya dhyānam)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनायाम् (comparative sense: 'better')

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अतिशयार्थे (supreme/very)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīrtha (comparative reference)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon season: dark clouds, soft rain; a meditator sits under a shelter near a riverbank, yet the focus is an inner, formless radiance rather than the river itself; Gaṅgā appears as a gentle, secondary motif.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya intensifies spiritual fruit: meditation and formless-oriented worship are praised as exceptionally liberating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrtha is referenced as a benchmark of sanctity, though the verse elevates amūrta-sevanā beyond even that meditation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) during Cāturmāsya and amūrta-sevanā (service/worship of the formless) are recommended.