Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

यः कांस्यं वर्जयेन्मर्त्यः प्रसुप्ते गरुडध्वजे । स फलं प्राप्नुयात्कृत्स्नं वाजपेयातिरात्रयोः

Transliteration

yaḥ kāṃsyaṃ varjayenmartyaḥ prasupte garuḍadhvaje | sa phalaṃ prāpnuyātkṛtsnaṃ vājapeyātirātrayoḥ

Translation

ഗരുഡധ്വജനായ ഭഗവാൻ വിഷ്ണു യോഗനിദ്രയിൽ ലീനനായിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഏതു മർത്ത്യൻ കാംസ്യം (കാഞ്ചുപാത്രങ്ങൾ) ഉപയോഗം വర్జിക്കുമോ, അവൻ വാജപേയവും അതിരാത്രവും എന്ന യാഗങ്ങളുടെ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• kāṃsyam: bronze/bell-metal (vessel)
• kāṃsyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṃsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛj/varj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• martyaḥ: a mortal man
• martyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• prasupte: when (he) is asleep
• prasupte: Adhikarana (Time/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-supta (कृदन्त; svap-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with garuḍadhvaje)

• garuḍa-dhvaje: when Garuḍa-bannered (Viṣṇu) is asleep
• garuḍa-dhvaje: Adhikarana (Time/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गरुडस्य ध्वजः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• prāpnuyāt: would obtain
• prāpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-पूर्वक (pra- + āp)

• kṛtsnam: entire; complete
• kṛtsnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with phalam)

• vājapeya-atirātrayoḥ: of the Vājapeya and Atirātra (sacrifices)
• vājapeya-atirātrayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vājapeya (प्रातिपदिक) + atirātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: वाजपेयः च अतिरात्रः च); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन (genitive dual)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu reclining in Yoga-nidrā on Śeṣa; in the foreground a devotee sets aside bell-metal utensils, choosing simple clay/copper vessels, with a yajña-fire faintly suggested as the ‘equivalent’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Vājapeya
• Atirātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small, sincere restraints observed for Viṣṇu during Cāturmāsya are praised as yielding immense, yajña-like merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this particular line emphasizes vrata-niyama during Viṣṇu’s sacred sleep rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoidance (varjana) of kāṃsya (bell-metal/bronze utensils) during the period when Viṣṇu is said to be in Yoga-nidrā (Cāturmāsya).