Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । अशून्यशयनानाम द्वितीयाद्य पुरंदर । अतीव दयिता विष्णोः प्रसुप्तस्य जलाशये

Transliteration

bṛhaspatiruvāca | aśūnyaśayanānāma dvitīyādya puraṃdara | atīva dayitā viṣṇoḥ prasuptasya jalāśaye

Translation

Bṛhaspati dit : «Ô Purandara, aujourd’hui est le deuxième jour lunaire nommé Aśūnyaśayanā, infiniment cher à Viṣṇu lorsqu’il repose endormi sur les eaux».

Word by Word

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशून्य-शयनानाम्: of the (vow/observance) called ‘Aśūnyaśayana’
• अशून्य-शयनानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ+शून्य+शयन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अशून्यं शयनं येषाम्/अशून्यशयनम्) — व्रतनाम/सम्बोधन-प्रसङ्गे

• द्वितीया-अद्य: today, on the second (day)
• द्वितीया-अद्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वितीया + अद्य (अव्यय/समासवत् प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘द्वितीयायाम् अद्य’ इत्यर्थे (today is the second day)

• पुरंदर: O Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अतिशयार्थक (adverb: exceedingly)

• दयिता: (it is) dear/beloved (thing)
• दयिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• प्रसुप्तस्य: of (Viṣṇu) who is asleep
• प्रसुप्तस्य: Sambandha-viśeṣaṇa (सम्बन्धविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+स्वप् (धातु) → प्रसुप्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘विष्णोः’)

• जलाशये: in the watery abode
• जलाशये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल+आशय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जले आशयः)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśūnyaśayanā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Purandara/Sahasrākṣa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati formally names the day ‘Aśūnyaśayanā’ to Indra, gesturing toward the waters where Viṣṇu sleeps; Indra listens with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Purandara (Indra)
• Aśūnyaśayanā
• Viṣṇu
• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu sleeping on waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tithis are spiritually potent: honoring Viṣṇu in his jalaśayana aspect aligns devotion with cosmic rhythm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is the water-setting where Viṣṇu is envisioned as jalaśāyī; the site’s waters become central to the observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Aśūnyaśayanā on dvitīyā, connected to worship of Viṣṇu as he sleeps upon/within the waters.