Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतगतो विष्णुराप्याययति वै जगत् । तथाश्वत्थगतं विष्णुं यो नमस्येन्न नारकी

Transliteration

sarvabhūtagato viṣṇurāpyāyayati vai jagat | tathāśvatthagataṃ viṣṇuṃ yo namasyenna nārakī

Translation

Viṣṇu, pervading all beings, truly nourishes the world. Likewise, one who bows to Viṣṇu present within the Aśvattha tree does not become fit for hell.

Word by Word

• सर्वभूतगतः: present in all beings
• सर्वभूतगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + भूत + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('gone into all beings'); विशेषण (of विष्णुः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• आप्याययति: nourishes/causes to thrive
• आप्याययति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्या (धातु; causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Niyamaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'likewise/so')

• अश्वत्थगतम्: present in the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वत्थ + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('gone into/located in the aśvattha'); विशेषण (of विष्णुम्)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• नमस्येत्: would bow to / should worship
• नमस्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नमस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• नारकी: a hell-dweller / one destined for hell
• नारकी: Samanadhikarana (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from 'Brahma–Nārada saṃvāda' colophon context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha (as living tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee folds hands before a grand Aśvattha; subtle Viṣṇu radiance pervades its leaves, suggesting the Lord nourishing all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Aśvattha (Pippala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing Viṣṇu as immanent—especially in the sacred Aśvattha—makes reverence a direct means of protection from grave downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as tīrtha-style praise of the Aśvattha itself as a living sacred presence within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra—bowing/saluting Viṣṇu as present in the Aśvattha tree.