Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अयाचितं चरेद्यस्तु प्रसुप्ते मधुसूदने । न विच्छेदो भवेत्तस्य कदाचित्सह बंधुभिः

Transliteration

ayācitaṃ caredyastu prasupte madhusūdane | na vicchedo bhavettasya kadācitsaha baṃdhubhiḥ

Translation

When Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu) abides in yogic sleep, whoever lives on what comes unasked will never, at any time, be separated from his kinsmen.

Word by Word

• अयाचितम्: what is not begged for (unsolicited alms/food)
• अयाचितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयाचित (प्रातिपदिक; याच् धातु से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘unasked (food/alms)’ अर्थे कर्मपद

• चरेत्: should practice/should live on
• चरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• प्रसुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• प्रसुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; स्वप् धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• मधुसूदने: in Madhusūdana (Vishnu)
• मधुसूदने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मधु + सूदन)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विच्छेदः: separation/break
• विच्छेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: should occur/would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: at any time/ever)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahartha (Association/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: ‘with’), सह-शब्दयोगे तृतीया अपेक्षा

• बन्धुभिः: with (his) relatives
• बन्धुभिः: Sahartha (Association/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Māhātmya-style narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-devotee during cāturmāsya receives simple food offered freely at a temple courtyard without asking; family members remain united nearby, while Viṣṇu in yoganidrā is shown as a protective presence.

Characters & Entities

• Madhusūdana
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contentment and non-solicitation (ayācita) are praised as dharmic disciplines that safeguard social and familial harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it presents a vrata-based teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ayācita-vrata: living on food or support that comes without asking, during the sacred period associated with Viṣṇu’s sleep.