Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9
दुर्वासा उवाच । चातुर्मासीविधानं ते करिष्ये नृप मंदिरे । मृत्तिकाग्रहणं तावच्छुश्रूषा क्रियतां मम । स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय मामूचे पार्थिवोत्तमः
durvāsā uvāca | cāturmāsīvidhānaṃ te kariṣye nṛpa maṃdire | mṛttikāgrahaṇaṃ tāvacchuśrūṣā kriyatāṃ mama | sa tatheti pratijñāya māmūce pārthivottamaḥ
دُروَاسا نے کہا: اے راجا، میں تمہارے محل میں چاتُرمَاسیہ کا وِدھان ادا کروں گا۔ جب تک مقدس مٹی کا گِرہن نہ ہو جائے، تب تک میری خدمت کی جائے۔ تب بہترین فرمانروا نے ‘یوں ہی ہو’ کہہ کر عہد کیا اور مجھ سے کہا۔
Durvāsā (primary); narrator voice continues in the last pāda
Type: kshetra
Listener: the king (nṛpa)
Scene: Durvāsā speaks with authoritative calm inside a palace hall; the king listens attentively, hands folded; ritual items for vrata preparation are arranged; monsoon clouds hinted outside.
FAQs
Austerity (vrata) bears fruit when supported by disciplined service to the holy; obedience and sincerity are central to dharma.
The verse situates the practice within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha narrative; the exact tīrtha associated with mṛttikā-grahaṇa is contextually given elsewhere in the chapter.
Cāturmāsya-vidhāna (four-month observance) and śuśrūṣā (attentive service) until mṛttikā-grahaṇa (collection of sacred clay).