Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अशून्यशयनंनाम व्रतमस्ति महत्तपः । विष्णोराराधनार्थाय तत्कुरुष्व समा हितः

Transliteration

aśūnyaśayanaṃnāma vratamasti mahattapaḥ | viṣṇorārādhanārthāya tatkuruṣva samā hitaḥ

Translation

มีพรตอันยิ่งใหญ่ชื่อว่า “อศูนยศยน” เป็นตบะทรงพลัง จงปฏิบัติด้วยจิตแน่วแน่เพื่อการบูชาพระวิษณุ อันเป็นประโยชน์แก่ตน

Word by Word

• अशून्यशयनम्: (the) non-empty bed (rite-name)
• अशून्यशयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-शून्य-शयन (प्रातिपदिक; शून्य + शयन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (अशून्यं शयनं यत्र तत्)

• नाम: called/known as
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः—‘इति नाम’ अर्थे (called/known as)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘व्रतम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Samanadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘व्रतम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय/अप्पोजिशन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• आराधनार्थाय: for the purpose of worship
• आराधनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराधन-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; आराधन + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आराधनस्य अर्थः)

• तत्: that (vow)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘कुरुष्व’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• कुरुष्व: do/perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समाः: equanimous
• समाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘हितः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (समः=समचित्तः)

• हितः: well-disposed/beneficial (one)
• हितः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा/हित ‘placed/beneficial’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्तः (O you who are well-disposed)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśūnyaśayana (vrata-centered sacred observance)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati instructs Indra about the powerful Aśūnyaśayana vow; in the background, a visionary glimpse of reclining Viṣṇu on Śeṣa over the Milk Ocean.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Viṣṇu
• Aśūnyaśayana Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused devotion to Viṣṇu through a prescribed vow becomes a powerful means to restore order, protection, and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Viṣṇu’s cosmic sacred realm (connected in the passage to Kṣīroda/Kṣīrasamudra), as the locus of refuge and grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Aśūnyaśayana Vrata—performed with concentration (samāhita) specifically for Viṣṇu’s worship.