Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

किं दानैर्बहुभिर्दत्तैः किं व्रतैः किमुपोषितैः । तत्र यः पुंडरीकाक्षं सुप्तं पूजयति ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

kiṃ dānairbahubhirdattaiḥ kiṃ vrataiḥ kimupoṣitaiḥ | tatra yaḥ puṃḍarīkākṣaṃ suptaṃ pūjayati dhruvam

Translation

Wozu viele Gaben, wozu Gelübde und langes Fasten? Denn wer an jenem heiligen Ort gewiss den Lotosäugigen Herrn (Puṇḍarīkākṣa) verehrt, selbst wenn Er in heiligem Schlummer ruht, dessen Verdienst ist unfehlbar gesichert.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• दानैः: by gifts, with donations
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बहुभिः: many
• बहुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दानैः)

• दत्तैः: given
• दत्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘given’ (qualifying दानैः)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• व्रतैः: by vows
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• उपोषितैः: by fasts
• उपोषितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-वास् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) used substantively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘with fasts/with having fasted’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative

• पुण्डरीकाक्षम्: Puṇḍarīkākṣa (lotus-eyed Viṣṇu)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पुण्डरीक-इव अक्षिणी यस्य सः)

• सुप्तम्: sleeping
• सुप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पुण्डरीकाक्षम्)

• पूजयति: worships
• पूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्रुवम्: surely, certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of certainty)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Jalaśāyī worship locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a sanctum, Viṣṇu reclines in yoganidrā; a devotee offers tulasī and a single lamp, while piles of unused gifts and fasting paraphernalia sit aside—signifying ‘no need’ when true worship is done there.

Characters & Entities

• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (pūjā) to Viṣṇu in a sanctified place can surpass mere quantity of charity, vows, or fasting when performed with focused faith—especially during the Lord’s sacred ‘sleep’ (yoganidrā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya stream within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, praising worship performed ‘there’ (tatra) in that kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to worship Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu) even during His Jalaśāyī/yoganidrā period, implying Cāturmāsya-season devotion alongside Ekādaśī-oriented practice.