Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सुप्ते देवे च पाराकं यः करोति विशुद्धधीः । नारी वा श्रद्धया युक्ता शतजन्माघ नाशनम्

Transliteration

supte deve ca pārākaṃ yaḥ karoti viśuddhadhīḥ | nārī vā śraddhayā yuktā śatajanmāgha nāśanam

Translation

Wenn der Herr im heiligen Schlaf ruht, vernichtet, wer mit geläutertem Geist die Pārāka-Observanz vollzieht — ob Mann oder Frau, von Glauben erfüllt — die Sünden, die sich über hundert Geburten angesammelt haben.

Word by Word

• सुप्ते: when (he is) asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; देवे इति विशेषणम्

• देवे: when the Lord (god)
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पाराकम्: the Pārāka fast (austerity)
• पाराकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• करोति: does/observes
• करोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विशुद्धधीः: one of pure intellect
• विशुद्धधीः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विकल्पे कर्तृपद

• वा: or
• वा: Alternative marker (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• युक्ता: endowed (with)
• युक्ता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नारी इति विशेषणम्

• शतजन्माघनाशनम्: destruction of sins of a hundred births
• शतजन्माघनाशनम्: Karta (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + जन्म + अघ + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; फलवाचक-कर्तृपद (अस्ति/भवति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu reclines on Śeṣa in cosmic sleep; below, a devotee (man or woman) performs a severe fast with folded hands, a calm radiant intellect signified by a halo at the forehead; dark karmic smoke dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (implied by deve/śayana context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled austerity performed at the holiest times brings profound purification, regardless of gender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the sacred time of the Lord’s śayana and the Pārāka vow; no specific tirtha is named in the text given.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the Pārāka observance during the period when the Lord is in śayana, with śraddhā and purified intent.