Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्यां यः पूजयेत्तत्र तं देवं जलशायिनम् । शास्त्रोक्तेन विधानेन स गच्छति हरेः पदम्

Transliteration

tasyāṃ yaḥ pūjayettatra taṃ devaṃ jalaśāyinam | śāstroktena vidhānena sa gacchati hareḥ padam

Translation

An jenem Tithi gelangt, wer dort den Herrn verehrt, der auf den Wassern ruht (Jalaśāyī), nach der in den Śāstras gelehrten Ordnung, zur Wohnstatt Haris.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that (tithi)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘तिथिः’ इत्यस्य संदर्भे (in that [tithi])

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

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

• जलशायिनम्: who lies in water
• जलशायिनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल+शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (jale śayī); ‘देवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• शास्त्रोक्तेन: as stated in scripture
• शास्त्रोक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र+उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः (śāstre uktaḥ)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पदम्: abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaśāyī-kṣetra (Aśūnyaśayanā observance)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Festival-day worship in the sanctum: Jalaśāyī Viṣṇu adorned with flowers and tulasī; priest performs śāstroktārcana while devotees observe vrata; the scene ends with a symbolic ascent toward Vaikuṇṭha (garuḍa banner, radiant path).

Characters & Entities

• Jalaśāyī (Hari/Viṣṇu)
• Śāstra
• Hari’s padam

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right practice (śāstrokta-vidhi) joined to devotion is upheld as efficacious and goal-bestowing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locale ‘there’ refers back to the famed Jalaśāyī-Hari sthāna mentioned earlier in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship on the specified tithi at the sacred site, performed according to scriptural injunction.