Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स्वल्पापि विहिता वत्स चातुर्मा स्ये सुखप्रदा । सर्वत्र दृश्यते विष्णुर्व्रतसेवापरैर्नृभिः

Transliteration

svalpāpi vihitā vatsa cāturmā sye sukhapradā | sarvatra dṛśyate viṣṇurvratasevāparairnṛbhiḥ

Translation

โอ้ผู้เป็นที่รัก แม้การถือปฏิบัติเพียงเล็กน้อยตามวินัย เมื่อทำในกาลจาตุรมาสยะ ก็ประทานความสุข ผู้ที่มุ่งมั่นในวรตย่อมเห็นพระวิษณุอยู่ทุกหนแห่ง

Word by Word

• स्वल्पा: small
• स्वल्पा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषण)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपेक्षा/समुच्चय-अव्यय (even)

• विहिता: enjoined
• विहिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विहित (कृदन्त, वि + √धा धातु; भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) — ‘enjoined/ordained’

• वत्स: O dear one/child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (अधिकरण)

• सुख-प्रदा: bestowing happiness
• सुख-प्रदा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, ‘giving’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सुखं प्रददाति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रत-सेवा-परैः: by those devoted to serving vows
• व्रत-सेवा-परैः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘व्रतसेवायां पराः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः

• नृभिः: by men
• नृभिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vat्सा (addressed as ‘dear one’ in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performing a simple Cāturmāsya vow (lamp, tulasī, japa) and then perceiving Viṣṇu’s presence in all directions—trees, rivers, people—subtle divine forms emerging in the landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya magnifies spiritual effort: even modest discipline yields joy, and steady vrata-service ripens into all-pervading vision of Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes the sacred season and vow-practice; no distinct named tīrtha appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking even a small, duly prescribed vow during Cāturmāsya and maintaining vrata-sevā (service to the vow).