Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नक्षत्रैर्भोंजनं कुर्याद्यः प्रसुप्ते जनार्दने । स धनी रूपसंपन्नः सुमतिश्च प्रजायते

Transliteration

nakṣatrairbhoṃjanaṃ kuryādyaḥ prasupte janārdane | sa dhanī rūpasaṃpannaḥ sumatiśca prajāyate

Translation

ജനാർദനൻ യോഗനിദ്രയിൽ ഇരിക്കുമ്പോൾ നക്ഷത്രാനുസരിച്ച് ഭക്ഷണം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ധനവാനും രൂപസമ്പന്നനും സുമതി (സദ്ബുദ്ധി) ഉള്ളവനുമായി ജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• nakṣatraiḥ: by (auspicious) lunar mansions/constellations
• nakṣatraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन (n., instr., pl.)

• bhojanam: meal/feeding
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (n., acc., sg.)

• kuryāt: should do/should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (opt., 3rd sg.)

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

• prasupte: when (he) is asleep
• prasupte: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-supta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (m., loc., sg.)

• janārdane: in/with regard to Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārdane: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (m., loc., sg.)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (m., nom., sg.)

• dhanī: wealthy
• dhanī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (m., nom., sg.)

• rūpasaṃpannaḥ: endowed with beauty
• rūpasaṃpannaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa + saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘सम्पन्न’ (m., nom., sg.)

• sumatiḥ: good intellect
• sumatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (f., nom., sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• prajāyate: is produced/arises
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (pres., 3rd sg.)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee marks the lunar mansion cycle, taking meals at prescribed times while Viṣṇu rests in yoganidrā; celestial nakṣatra symbols arc above, and Janārdana’s presence is felt through a shrine lamp and banner.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aligning daily life with sacred cosmic rhythms (nakṣatras) during a holy season, and doing so in devotion to Viṣṇu, is presented as a dharmic discipline producing both inner and outer well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya framework within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt a nakṣatra-regulated pattern of eating (bhojana-niyama) during the period when Janārdana is described as in sacred sleep.