Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सुप्ते देवे जगन्नाथे फलदानं प्रय च्छति । विप्राय वेदविदुषे यमलोकं न पश्यति

Transliteration

supte deve jagannāthe phaladānaṃ praya cchati | viprāya vedaviduṣe yamalokaṃ na paśyati

Translation

Lorsque Jagannātha, Seigneur de l’univers, repose dans le sommeil sacré, celui qui offre des fruits—en les donnant à un brāhmane versé dans les Veda—ne voit pas le royaume de Yama.

Word by Word

• सुप्ते: when (he is) asleep
• सुप्ते: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) → सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवे: in/with regard to the deity
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जगन्नाथे: in Jagannātha (the Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Lord of the world)

• फलदानम्: gift of fruits
• फलदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gift of fruits)

• प्रयच्छति: offers
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विप्राय: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वेदविदुषे: to a Veda-knower
• वेदविदुषे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (knower of the Veda)

• यमलोकम्: Yama’s world
• यमलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor with a fruit basket before a Viṣṇu/Jagannātha shrine; then respectfully offering fruits to a serene Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa; in the background, a faint, vanishing silhouette of Yama’s noose symbolizing deliverance.

Characters & Entities

• Jagannātha
• Yama
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity offered with discernment—supporting Vedic learning—purifies the giver and protects from fearful after-death states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse invokes Jagannātha devotion (often associated with Purī in wider Hindu tradition), but the line itself does not explicitly name a geographic tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Cāturmāsya, donate fruits, especially to a Veda-learned brāhmaṇa.