Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । प्रसुप्ते देवदेवेशे शंखचक्रगदाधरे । यच्चान्यदपि कर्तव्यं नियमो व्रतमेव वा

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | prasupte devadeveśe śaṃkhacakragadādhare | yaccānyadapi kartavyaṃ niyamo vratameva vā

Translation

ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਜਦੋਂ ਸ਼ੰਖ, ਚਕ੍ਰ ਅਤੇ ਗਦਾ ਧਾਰਣ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਦੇਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਦੇਵ-ਈਸ਼ਵਰ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਨੀਂਦ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਣ, ਤਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਕੀ ਕਰਤਵ੍ਯ ਹੈ? ਕਿਹੜਾ ਨਿਯਮ ਜਾਂ ਕਿਹੜਾ ਵ੍ਰਤ ਹੀ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਯੋਗ ਹੈ?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• प्रसुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्वप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) ‘प्रसुप्त’; सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव, अत्र पुंलिङ्गे (in/when [he] is asleep)

• देवदेवेशे: in the Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेशे: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां देवः—देवदेवः; तस्य ईशः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शंखचक्रगदाधरे: in the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शंखचक्रगदाधरे: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + चक्र + गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (शंखं च चक्रं च गदां च धरति), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यत्: what
• यत्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थे (what/that which)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्यत्: other (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=also/even

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma (Predicative object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—कर्तुं योग्यं/आवश्यकम् (to be done)

• नियमः: a rule/observance
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• व्रतम्: a vow
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The narrator/teacher figure of the episode (likely Sūta or a sage responding; not shown in this single verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in a forest-ashram near the kṣetra asks about proper vows while a temple image of Viṣṇu (conch, discus, mace) is shown reclining in the background, indicating sacred sleep.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred seasons require appropriate dharmic adjustments; the sages seek authoritative guidance on the right vows and disciplines during Viṣṇu’s Cāturmāsya ‘sleep’ period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion appears within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya stream of Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A query is posed about niyama and vrata during the Lord’s slumber; the prescription follows in the subsequent verses.