Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततो मध्याह्नसमये स्नात्वा धौतांबरः शुचिः । जलशायिनमासाद्य मंत्रेणानेन पूजयेत्

Transliteration

tato madhyāhnasamaye snātvā dhautāṃbaraḥ śuciḥ | jalaśāyinamāsādya maṃtreṇānena pūjayet

Translation

Dann, zur Mittagszeit, nachdem man gebadet und frisch gewaschene, reine Gewänder angelegt hat, soll man in Reinheit zum Herrn schreiten, der auf den Wassern ruht (Jalāśayī), und Ihn mit dem folgenden Mantra verehren.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• मध्याह्नसमये: at midday time
• मध्याह्नसमये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक) + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मध्याह्नस्य समयः)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• धौताम्बरः: wearing washed garments
• धौताम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धौत (धाव्/धौ धातु + क्त) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (धौतं अम्बरं यस्य सः)

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जलशायिनम्: the one who lies on water (Viṣṇu)
• जलशायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जले शायी)

• आसाद्य: having approached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ- सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थक अव्यय (gerund: ‘having approached/attained’)

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / brāhmaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At midday, a devotee emerges from a river/kuṇḍa after bathing, dressed in spotless cloth, walking toward a shrine where Viṣṇu as Jalāśayī reclines; offerings and a mantra scroll are prepared.

Characters & Entities

• Jalāśayī (Viṣṇu/Jagannātha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External cleanliness supports inner devotion; worship becomes potent when performed with śauca (purity).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is within a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but this verse itself describes pūjā procedure rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at midday, wear clean clothes, approach Jalāśayī (Viṣṇu) and worship using the prescribed mantra.