Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
होमो वाथ जपो वाथ दानं वा तद्वदस्व नः । सूत उवाच । यः कश्चिन्नियमो विप्राः प्रसुप्ते गरुडध्वजे
homo vātha japo vātha dānaṃ vā tadvadasva naḥ | sūta uvāca | yaḥ kaścinniyamo viprāḥ prasupte garuḍadhvaje
เป็นโหมะ หรือเป็นชปะ หรือเป็นทาน—โปรดบอกแก่เราเถิด. สูตะกล่าวว่า: โอ้พราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย เมื่อพระผู้ทรงธงครุฑบรรทมในนิทราศักดิ์สิทธิ์แล้ว วินัยใดๆ ที่ปฏิบัติ—
Sūta
Type: kshetra
Listener: brāhmaṇas (assembled sages)
Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas respectfully question Sūta about which practice—homa, japa, or dāna—should be done during the period when Viṣṇu is in sacred sleep; the atmosphere is that of a pilgrimage assembly near a tīrtha.
FAQs
Even when the Lord is described as ‘asleep’ in yoganidrā, dharmic practice continues—homa, japa, and dāna become meaningful when aligned with the season’s discipline.
The teaching is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
The verse enumerates homa, japa, and dāna as candidate practices; Sūta begins the rule that any such niyama done during this time yields great fruit.