Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सावित्रीं तिलमास्थाय पवित्रं श्वेतभूषणम् । सुप्ते देवे विशेषेण तिलसेवा महाफला

Transliteration

sāvitrīṃ tilamāsthāya pavitraṃ śvetabhūṣaṇam | supte deve viśeṣeṇa tilasevā mahāphalā

Translation

En établissant le rite de Sāvitrī avec le sésame et en adoptant la pureté par des ornements blancs—surtout lorsque le Seigneur demeure dans le sommeil yogique—le service du sésame porte un fruit immense.

Word by Word

• sāvitrīm: Sāvitrī (goddess/Mantra)
• sāvitrīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tilam: sesame
• tilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• āsthāya: having undertaken
• āsthāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-sthā (√sthā धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having undertaken/observed)

• pavitram: pure, sacred
• pavitram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (pure/holy)

• śveta-bhūṣaṇam: with white adornment
• śveta-bhūṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पवित्रम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (white-ornamented)

• supte: when asleep
• supte: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: supta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √svap)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘deve’ इति विशेषण; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (when (the god) is asleep)

• deve: in the god (i.e., when the deity is asleep)
• deve: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in/when the god)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रकारेण

• tila-sevā: service/observance involving sesame
• tila-sevā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक; √sev धातु से भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mahā-phalā: highly fruitful
• mahā-phalā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘tila-sevā’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotee in white garments offers sesame and lamps before a small altar of Sāvitrī; in the background a reclining Viṣṇu (yoga-nidrā) motif suggests the cāturmāsya season; atmosphere is quiet and pure.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Tila (sesame)
• Deva (Lord in yoganidrā)
• Cāturmāsya (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, disciplined observance, and sacred materials like sesame intensify merit during liminal sacred times such as the Lord’s yoganidrā season.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single named tīrtha appears in this verse; it emphasizes a time-bound mahātmya (Cāturmāsya/yoganidrā period) and ritual substance (tila).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake a Sāvitrī-related rite using sesame, maintain ritual purity, and wear/use white adornments; perform tila-sevā especially during the deity’s yogic sleep.