Shloka 31 - Adhyaya 41 - Tirtha Mahatmya - Nagara Khanda | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । अशून्यशयनानाम द्वितीयाद्य पुरंदर । अतीव दयिता विष्णोः प्रसुप्तस्य जलाशये

Transliteration

bṛhaspatiruvāca | aśūnyaśayanānāma dvitīyādya puraṃdara | atīva dayitā viṣṇoḥ prasuptasya jalāśaye

Translation

बृहस्पतिरुवाच—हे पुरंदर, अद्य अशून्यशयनानाम द्वितीया; जलाशये प्रसुप्तस्य विष्णोः अतीव दयिता।

Word by Word

बृहस्पतिःBṛhaspati

उवाचsaid

अशून्य-शयनानाम्of the (vow/observance) called ‘Aśūnyaśayana’

द्वितीया-अद्यtoday, on the second (day)

पुरंदरO Purandara (Indra)

अतीवexceedingly

दयिता(it is) dear/beloved (thing)

विष्णोःof Viṣṇu

प्रसुप्तस्यof (Viṣṇu) who is asleep

जलाशयेin the watery abode

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśūnyaśayanā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Purandara/Sahasrākṣa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati formally names the day ‘Aśūnyaśayanā’ to Indra, gesturing toward the waters where Viṣṇu sleeps; Indra listens with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

Bṛhaspati

Purandara (Indra)

Aśūnyaśayanā

Viṣṇu

Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu sleeping on waters)

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tithis are spiritually potent: honoring Viṣṇu in his jalaśayana aspect aligns devotion with cosmic rhythm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is the water-setting where Viṣṇu is envisioned as jalaśāyī; the site’s waters become central to the observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Aśūnyaśayanā on dvitīyā, connected to worship of Viṣṇu as he sleeps upon/within the waters.