Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

त्वया तस्मात्समागम्य चातुर्मास्यं शचीपते । प्रयत्नेन प्रकर्तव्यमशून्यशयनं व्रतम्

Transliteration

tvayā tasmātsamāgamya cāturmāsyaṃ śacīpate | prayatnena prakartavyamaśūnyaśayanaṃ vratam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ശചീപതേ! ഇവിടെ വന്ന് നീ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ചാതുർമാസ്യാനുഷ്ഠാനം ചെയ്യണം—അത് ‘അശൂന്യശയനം’ എന്ന വ്രതമാണ്।

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instr./कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (2nd person), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थे—'अतः' (therefore)

• समागम्य: having approached; having come together
• समागम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having come/approached)

• चातुर्मास्यम्: the four-month observance (Cāturmāsya)
• चातुर्मास्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर् + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चत्वारः मासाः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शचीपते: O lord of Śacī (Indra)
• शचीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शच्याः पतिः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: must be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—'कर्तव्यम्' (to be done)

• अशून्यशयनम्: the ‘not-empty-bed’ (conjugal) observance
• अशून्यशयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + शून्य + शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अशून्यं शयनं), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रतम्: vow; observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Vāsudeva/Janārdana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṇya-hrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śacīpati/Vāsava (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord instructs Indra to come and carefully perform the Cāturmāsya vow of aśūnya-śayana; a ritual bed/altar is shown prepared near the lake with lamps, flowers, and a small icon or symbolic presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śacīpati (Indra)
• Cāturmāsya
• Aśūnyaśayana-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred months amplify merit; disciplined observances (vrata) performed with effort at a tīrtha bear heightened spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same revered tīrtha-lake setting of Adhyāya 41, where Bhagavān declares His abiding presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Cāturmāsya, specifically the aśūnya-śayana vow, undertaken with diligence.