Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स यथा तत्र क्षेत्रे तु संश्रितो भगवान्स्वयम् । जलशायिस्वरूपेण तच्छृशुध्वं समाहिताः

Transliteration

sa yathā tatra kṣetre tu saṃśrito bhagavānsvayam | jalaśāyisvarūpeṇa tacchṛśudhvaṃ samāhitāḥ

Translation

今、心を一つにして聞け。主ご自身がその聖なるクシェートラに身を寄せ、「ジャラシャーイー（Jalaśāyī）—水に臥す御方」の姿として顕現された次第を。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यथा: as, how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/how)

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

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• संश्रितः: having resorted to, dwelling in
• संश्रितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + श्रि (धातु) → संश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भगवान्’)

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive/emphatic)

• जलशायिस्वरूपेण: in the form of the water-reclining (Lord)
• जलशायिस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + शायिन् + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (जले शायी = जलशायी; तस्य स्वरूपम्)

• तत्: that (account)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समाहिताः: attentive, composed
• समाहिताः: Karta (Addressee/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the listeners)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ / dvijottamāḥ (twice-born listeners)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field by water: the Lord manifest as Jalaśāyī—Viṣṇu reclining on Śeṣa upon a lotus-strewn expanse of water—while attentive listeners sit with folded hands, urged to hear with concentrated minds.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Jalaśāyī
• Kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same supreme Lord can be cosmically enthroned and yet locally present in a kṣetra for devotees’ benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular kṣetra featuring Jalaśāyī (connected to a cave-entrance in the surrounding verses) is being introduced for glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An injunction to listen attentively (samāhitāḥ) to the māhātmya explaining the deity’s manifestation.