Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण ध्यानमात्रात्प्रमुच्यते । अमूर्त्तसेवनं गंगातीर्थध्यानाद्वरं परम्

Transliteration

cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa dhyānamātrātpramucyate | amūrttasevanaṃ gaṃgātīrthadhyānādvaraṃ param

Translation

Dalam Cāturmāsya, khususnya, seseorang dibebaskan hanya dengan meditasi. Berkhidmat kepada Yang Tanpa Rupa (Amūrta) ialah keutamaan tertinggi, bahkan lebih luhur daripada merenung tīrtha Gaṅgā.

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.