Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

वर्षमध्ये प्रकुर्वीत तथा सुप्ते जनार्द्दने । पौषे च लुप्तं कृत्वा च श्रौतं स्मार्त्तं करोति यः

Transliteration

varṣamadhye prakurvīta tathā supte janārddane | pauṣe ca luptaṃ kṛtvā ca śrautaṃ smārttaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

వర్షాకాల మధ్యలో, లేదా జనార్దనుడు (విష్ణువు) శయనంలో ఉన్నప్పుడు ఈ కర్మలు చేయువాడు, అలాగే పౌషమాసంలో వ్రతం లుప్తమని భావించి కూడా శ్రౌత-స్మార్త కర్మలు చేయువాడు—విధివిరుద్ధంగా ప్రవర్తిస్తాడు।

Word by Word

• वर्ष-मध्ये: in the middle of the year
• वर्ष-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्षस्य मध्ये)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should perform
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) उपसर्ग: प्र
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• सुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त, √स्वप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative absolute sense with जनार्द्दने)

• जनार्द्दने: in/when Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्द्दने: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्द्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

• पौषे: in the month of Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मासवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• लुप्तम्: lapsed; omitted
• लुप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुप्त (कृदन्त, √लुप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण (as object/complement to कृत्वा)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• श्रौतम्: Śrauta rite
• श्रौतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रौत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (ritual based on śruti)

• स्मार्त्तम्: Smārta rite
• स्मार्त्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मार्त्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (ritual based on smṛti)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic passage within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds over a village; a ritualist attempting to conduct solemn rites while a symbolic Viṣṇu rests on Śeṣa (śayana) in a side vignette; a calendar/panchāṅga motif shows Pauṣa and Cāturmāsya markers; tension between human haste and cosmic rhythm.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Pauṣa (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sensitive to sacred time: rites done against calendrical rule are portrayed as improper and spiritually risky.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is ritual calendar discipline within the Dharmāraṇya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions against performing certain śrauta/smārta rites during the rainy season, during Viṣṇu’s ‘sleep’, and after declaring an observance lapsed in Pauṣa.