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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सुप्ते देवे वृक्षमध्यमास्थाय भगवान्प्रभुः । जलं पृथ्वीगतं सर्वं प्रपिबन्निव सेवते

Transliteration

supte deve vṛkṣamadhyamāsthāya bhagavānprabhuḥ | jalaṃ pṛthvīgataṃ sarvaṃ prapibanniva sevate

Translation

Lorsque le Deva (Viṣṇu) demeure dans son sommeil cosmique, le Seigneur Bienheureux se tient au cœur de l’arbre, comme s’il buvait toutes les eaux entrées dans la terre, et ainsi il soutient et entretient le monde.

Word by Word
सुप्तेwhen (he) is asleep
सुप्ते:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप् धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)
देवेin/when the god
देवे:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन
वृक्षमध्यम्the middle of the tree
वृक्षमध्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवृक्ष + मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('middle of the tree')
आस्थायhaving taken position (in)
आस्थाय:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Root√स्था (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)
भगवान्the Blessed Lord
भगवान्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
प्रभुःthe master
प्रभुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition to भगवान्)
जलम्water
जलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन
पृथ्वीगतम्that has entered the earth
पृथ्वीगतम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपृथ्वी + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('gone into the earth'); विशेषण (of जलम्)
सर्वम्all
सर्वम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of जलम्)
प्रपिबन्drinking
प्रपिबन्:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Root√पा (धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)
इवas if
इव:
Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमा)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
सेवतेserves/attends (to)
सेवते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√सेव् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha (Viṣṇu-ādhāra during yoganidrā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal Aśvattha with Viṣṇu subtly enthroned within its heartwood during yoganidrā; beneath, the earth’s waters are drawn upward in a mystical cycle, suggesting the Lord ‘drinking’ and sustaining all.

Characters & Entities
V
Viṣṇu
Y
Yoga-nidrā (implied)
A
Aśvattha (tree, implied)

FAQs

The sacred tree is not merely symbolic: it is portrayed as a cosmic seat where Viṣṇu abides and sustains life, giving theological grounding to tree-veneration.

The verse sacralizes the Aśvattha as a living sacred abode; the ‘site’ is the tree itself within the māhātmya landscape.

No direct rite is prescribed here; it provides the theological rationale supporting Aśvattha-sevā, especially in the Cāturmāsya season.

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