Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं तं ब्राह्मणं तत्र मुक्त्वा दूरे सुतान्वितम् । गतौ तौ तत्र संसुप्तस्तोये यत्र जनार्दनः

Transliteration

evaṃ taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ tatra muktvā dūre sutānvitam | gatau tau tatra saṃsuptastoye yatra janārdanaḥ

Translation

Having thus left that brāhmaṇa there at a distance, together with his son, the two of them went on to the place where Janārdana lay asleep upon the waters.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb 'thus')

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

• ब्राह्मणम्: the brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• मुक्त्वा: having left
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having left/released)

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (far away)

• सुतान्वितम्: accompanied by (his) son
• सुतान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; अन्वि/अनु + इ धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणम्)

• गतौ: (the two) went
• गतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) 'gone', पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्तरि

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

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

• संसुप्तः: asleep
• संसुप्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्वप् (धातु) → संसुप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (जनार्दनः)

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb 'where')

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janārdana-jalaśayana-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two devotees walk away after seating the brāhmaṇa and his son at a safe distance; ahead lies a luminous waterscape where Janārdana rests in yogic sleep.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Son (suta)
• Garuḍa (implied 'the two')
• Nārada (implied 'the two')
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual journeys require right guidance—sometimes protection means being asked to wait until one is fit to proceed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A water-tīrtha where Janārdana is worshipped as jalaśāyī (reposing on waters).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No; it narrates proper conduct and safe positioning during darśana.