Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

न मे किञ्चिद्धनैः कार्यं न राज्येन नृपोत्तम । चातुर्मास्यव्रतोऽतोऽहं पारणं कर्तृमुत्सहे

Transliteration

na me kiñciddhanaiḥ kāryaṃ na rājyena nṛpottama | cāturmāsyavrato'to'haṃ pāraṇaṃ kartṛmutsahe

Translation

ഹേ നൃപോത്തമാ, എനിക്ക് ധനവും വേണ്ട, രാജ്യവും വേണ്ട. ഞാൻ ചാതുർമാസ്യവ്രതത്തിലാണ്; അതിനാൽ പാരണ—വ്രതസമാപനഭോജനം—ചെയ്യാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negative particle)

• मे: for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/Experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/पञ्चमी (Genitive/Dative-like enclitic), एकवचन; अत्र = ‘मे’ (for me / of me)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karta (Impersonal subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित (anything)

• धनैः: with wealth / by riches
• धनैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कार्यम्: need/concern
• कार्यम्: Karta (Impersonal subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कार्यं’ = need/concern

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• राज्येन: with a kingdom
• राज्येन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः नृप + उत्तम

• चातुर्मास्यव्रतः: one observing the four-month vow
• चातुर्मास्यव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः चातुर्मास्य (four-month) + व्रत

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/causal adverb) = therefore/for this reason

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पारणम्: breaking of the fast (parāṇa)
• पारणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• उत्सहे: I am able / I undertake
• उत्सहे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√sah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā, austere and radiant, declines royal gifts with a calm gesture; the king stands humbled, realizing the sage seeks only vow-completion.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• King
• Cāturmāsya Vrata
• Pāraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) are to be completed with integrity; spiritual discipline is valued above riches and royal power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka highlights vrata-dharma within a tīrthamāhātmya setting; no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāturmāsya-vrata and its pāraṇa—properly concluding the vow with an appropriate meal.