Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ततश्चानन्तरं विप्रोऽगच्छत्तं केशवं प्रति । सुप्तं क्षीरार्णवेऽपश्यच्छेषपर्यङ्कसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

tataścānantaraṃ vipro'gacchattaṃ keśavaṃ prati | suptaṃ kṣīrārṇave'paśyaccheṣaparyaṅkasaṃsthitam

Translation

അനന്തരം ആ വിപ്രൻ കേശവന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു. ക്ഷീരസമുദ്രത്തിൽ ശേഷശയ്യയിൽ ശയനിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ഭഗവാനെ അവൻ ദർശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'thereupon/then'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — conjunction

• अनन्तरम्: immediately, without delay
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (accusative of time)

• विप्रः: the brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अगच्छत्: went
• अगच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradana (Goal/प्रति-गमन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्गवत्; here: preposition) — 'towards'

• सुप्तम्: sleeping
• सुप्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तम्/केशवम्' इति विशेषणम्

• क्षीरार्णवे: in the ocean of milk
• क्षीरार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षीरस्य अर्णवः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शेषपर्यङ्कसंस्थितम्: reclining on the couch/bed of Śeṣa
• शेषपर्यङ्कसंस्थितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष + पर्यङ्क + संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + सम् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शेषस्य पर्यङ्कः; तस्मिन् संस्थितः), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'केशवम्' इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage approaches the radiant Keśava reclining on Ananta-Śeṣa upon the Ocean of Milk; the ocean is luminous like churned moonlight, with lotus motifs and a calm, timeless atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Kṣīrārṇava (Ocean of Milk)
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme Lord remains the cosmic refuge; even in divine “rest,” his presence sustains the universe and answers devotees’ urgent needs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a cosmological locus (Kṣīrābdhi) rather than an earthly tīrtha; the setting appears within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a visionary description.