Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अशून्यशयनानाम द्वितीया दयिता तिथिः । सदैव देवदेवस्य कृष्णा सुप्तस्य या भवेत्

Transliteration

aśūnyaśayanānāma dvitīyā dayitā tithiḥ | sadaiva devadevasya kṛṣṇā suptasya yā bhavet

Translation

‘അശൂന്യശയനാ’ എന്ന പ്രിയ തിഥി ദ്വിതീയയാണ്; അത് എപ്പോഴും ദേവദേവൻ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണന്റെ പവിത്ര നിദ്രാഭാവവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अशून्यशयनानाम्: of those whose bed is not empty
• अशून्यशयनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ+शून्य+शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः (aśūnyaṃ śayanaṃ yeṣām = those whose bed is not empty) बहुव्रीह्यर्थे षष्ठी-बहुवचन-प्रयोगः

• द्वितीया: the second
• द्वितीया: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तिथिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दयिता: beloved
• दयिता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तिथिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तिथिः: lunar day (tithi)
• तिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव+देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (devaḥ eva devaḥ = god of gods)

• कृष्णा: dark (fortnight)
• कृष्णा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तिथिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa)

• सुप्तस्य: of (him) who is asleep
• सुप्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘देवदेवस्य’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• भवेत्: may be/is considered
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśūnyaśayanā (tithi observance)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-ritual scene: devotees preparing for Dvitīyā observance—clean altar, tulasī, lamps—while the cosmic image of Kṛṣṇa/Hari in yoganidrā (sacred sleep) is shown above or within the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Aśūnyaśayanā (tithi/vrata)
• Kṛṣṇa (Hari)
• Devadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi) is treated as spiritually potent when aligned with remembrance and worship of the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the same Jalaśāyī Hari site; this verse emphasizes the auspicious timing (Aśūnyaśayanā dvitīyā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance centered on the Aśūnyaśayanā second tithi associated with the Lord’s reclining/sleep.