Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्यव्रतं तेन गृहीतं तत्पुरस्तदा । प्रार्थितस्तु ततो विप्राः शाकल्यस्तैन भूभुजा

Transliteration

cāturmāsyavrataṃ tena gṛhītaṃ tatpurastadā | prārthitastu tato viprāḥ śākalyastaina bhūbhujā

Translation

ณ ที่นั้น เบื้องพระพักตร์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า พระองค์ทรงรับปฏิญาณจาตุรมาสยะ แล้วกษัตริย์จึงทูลขอพราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย โดยเฉพาะศากัลยะ ให้ประกอบพิธีกรรมอันจำเป็น

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्यव्रतम्: the Cāturmāsya vow
• चातुर्मास्यव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य + व्रत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चातुर्मास्यं व्रतम् = four-month vow)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गृहीतम्: undertaken
• गृहीतम्: Kriya (Predicate to object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘taken/undertaken’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म ‘व्रतम्’ इति

• तत्पुरः: before him
• तत्पुरः: Adhikarana (Proximity/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front of him/thereupon’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रार्थितः: was requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-अर्थ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘requested’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/and then
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अनन्तरार्थक

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शाकल्यः: Śākalya
• शाकल्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; पाठे ‘तैन’ = ‘तेन’ (वर्णविकल्प)

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘भूभुज्’ = राजा (earth-enjoyer)

Speaker

Sūta (narratorial voice, as typical in Māhātmya sections)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaśāyī Hari-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the sanctum of Jalaśāyī Hari, the king takes a solemn saṅkalpa for Cāturmāsya; brāhmaṇas stand with darbha, water-pot, and manuscripts, with Śākalya prominent as chief officiant.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya-vrata
• Śākalya
• brāhmaṇas
• king (bhūbhuj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) become spiritually potent when undertaken with humility, in a sacred presence, and supported by dharmic guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kṣetra where Jalaśāyī Hari is present; the vow is taken directly before the deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking the Cāturmāsya vow and engaging qualified brāhmaṇas (including Śākalya) for rites.