Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

स्नापयेत्परया भक्त्या क्षौद्रक्षीरेण सर्पिषा । खण्डेन तोयमिश्रेण जगद्योनिं जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

snāpayetparayā bhaktyā kṣaudrakṣīreṇa sarpiṣā | khaṇḍena toyamiśreṇa jagadyoniṃ janārdanam

Translation

In höchster Hingabe soll man Janārdana—den Schoß und Ursprung der Welt—mit Honig, Milch, Ghee und Zucker, mit Wasser vermischt, baden.

Word by Word

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); णिजन्त (causative)

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• क्षौद्रक्षीरेण: with honey-milk
• क्षौद्रक्षीरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (honey’s milk / milk with honey)

• सर्पिषा: with ghee
• सर्पिषा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• खण्डेन: with sugar (piece/lump)
• खण्डेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• तोयमिश्रेण: mixed with water
• तोयमिश्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (mixed with water)

• जगद्योनिम्: the source of the world
• जगद्योनिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (womb/source of the world)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

Speaker

Narrator of the Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā region) associated with Janārdana worship

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum where Janārdana is bathed in a ritual abhiṣeka; streams of honey, milk, ghee, and sugar-water flow over the icon while devotees offer folded hands and vessels of dravya.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Abhiṣeka substances (honey, milk, ghee, sugar, water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service (upacāra) offered with purity and love is portrayed as direct worship of the cosmic source, bringing profound merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship is situated in the Cakratīrtha/Narmadā māhātmya section of Adhyāya 90.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) of Janārdana with honey, milk, ghee, and sugar mixed with water.