Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सुप्ते देवे यथाशक्ति ह्यन्यासु प्रतिमासु च । पुष्पवस्त्रप्रदानेन सन्तानं नैव हीयते

Transliteration

supte deve yathāśakti hyanyāsu pratimāsu ca | puṣpavastrapradānena santānaṃ naiva hīyate

Translation

Wenn der Herr im heiligen Schlaf (Cāturmāsya) ruht und auch in anderen Monaten nach Kräften, wird durch das Darbringen von Blumen und das Spenden von Gewändern die Linie niemals geschmälert.

Word by Word

• सुप्ते: when (he is) asleep
• सुप्ते: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) → सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• देवे: in/with regard to the deity
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यथाशक्ति: according to one’s capacity
• यथाशक्ति: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-अव्यय (adverbial compound): 'according to ability'

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अन्यासु: in other
• अन्यासु: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रतिमासु: in images (idols)
• प्रतिमासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुष्पवस्त्रप्रदानेन: by the offering of flowers and clothes
• पुष्पवस्त्रप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (पुष्प+वस्त्र) पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुष (प्रदान)

• सन्तानम्: progeny, lineage
• सन्तानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• हीयते: is diminished
• हीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'is diminished')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Viṣṇu shrine during Cāturmāsya: the Lord symbolically ‘asleep’ (yoganidrā), devotees offering garlands and folded cloth; priests arranging flowers; lamps glowing in monsoon ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Lord, contextually Hari/Viṣṇu in Cāturmāsya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional giving, even simple offerings, sustains prosperity and continuity of family line when done with faith and capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse; it emphasizes timing (Cāturmāsya) and offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer flowers and garments—especially during Cāturmāsya, and also in other months as one is able.