Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

एवं तत्र द्विजश्रेष्ठा जलशायी जनार्दनः । सर्वलोकहितार्थाय संस्थितः परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

evaṃ tatra dvijaśreṣṭhā jalaśāyī janārdanaḥ | sarvalokahitārthāya saṃsthitaḥ parameśvaraḥ

Translation

Ainsi, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, Janārdana—le Seigneur suprême qui repose sur les eaux—demeure établi en ce lieu pour le bien de tous les mondes.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक/thus)

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

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन

• जलशायी: lying on the waters
• जलशायी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः (जले शायी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सर्वलोकहितार्थाय: for the purpose of the welfare of all worlds
• सर्वलोकहितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक + हित + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (सर्वलोकस्य हितस्य अर्थः), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• संस्थितः: remained; was stationed
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (having remained/being stationed)

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (परमः ईश्वरः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Jalaśāyī-Janārdana sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas / Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana as jalaśāyī—reclining upon the waters (or on Śeṣa over the cosmic ocean)—yet simultaneously ‘established there’ in the kṣetra for the welfare of all worlds; sages addressed as ‘dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ’.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Parameśvara
• Dvijaśreṣṭha (address to sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is sanctified by the Lord’s continuing presence; worship there is framed as service to the cosmic good (sarvaloka-hita).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ (tatra) indicates the same sacred lake/waterside tīrtha where Janārdana is described as jala-śāyī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it reinforces the theological basis for tīrtha-worship and pilgrimage merit.