Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ततो देवाः समभ्येत्य देवदेवं जनार्दनम् । क्षीराब्धौ संस्थितं नित्यं शेषपर्यंकशायिनम्

Transliteration

tato devāḥ samabhyetya devadevaṃ janārdanam | kṣīrābdhau saṃsthitaṃ nityaṃ śeṣaparyaṃkaśāyinam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ദേവന്മാർ ദേവദേവനായ ജനാർദനനെ സമീപിച്ചു—അവൻ ക്ഷീരസമുദ്രത്തിൽ നിത്യമായി വസിച്ച്, ശേഷപര്യങ്കത്തിൽ ശയിക്കുന്നവൻ.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Discourse/temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'then/from there')

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + √इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; ल्यप् (gerund/absolutive); 'having approached'

• देवदेवम्: the God of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (god of gods)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to देवदेवम्)

• क्षीराब्धौ: in the Milk Ocean
• क्षीराब्धौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ocean of milk)

• संस्थितम्: situated, stationed
• संस्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle, kta); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Janārdana)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (accusative used adverbially); कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• शेषपर्यङ्कशायिनम्: the one reclining on Śeṣa’s couch
• शेषपर्यङ्कशायिनम्: Karma (Object in apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष + पर्यङ्क + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (one who lies on the couch/bed of Śeṣa)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrābdhi (Anantaśayana-kṣetra, archetypal)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas arrive in reverence at the radiant Milk Ocean: Janārdana reclines on Śeṣa’s jeweled coils, lotus rising, calm waters, celestial light; devas with folded hands at the shore.

Characters & Entities

• devāḥ (gods)
• Janārdana
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, the gods themselves seek refuge in the supreme protector, highlighting surrender (śaraṇāgati) as a dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts to cosmic geography (Kṣīrābdhi, the Ocean of Milk) rather than a terrestrial tīrtha in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the gods’ approach to Viṣṇu for protection.