Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सुयक्षकर्दमैर्लिप्तो विष्णुर्येन जगद्गुरुः । तेना प्यायितमेतद्धि वासितं यशसा जगत्

Transliteration

suyakṣakardamairlipto viṣṇuryena jagadguruḥ | tenā pyāyitametaddhi vāsitaṃ yaśasā jagat

Translation

ผู้ใดได้ทาพระวิษณุ—ครูแห่งโลก—ด้วยเลปะอันประเสริฐและหอมกรุ่น ด้วยกรรมนั้นแดนนี้ย่อมได้รับการหล่อเลี้ยงโดยแท้ และโลกทั้งปวงก็อบอวลด้วยเกียรติยศของเขา

Word by Word

• सुयक्षकर्दमैः: with the mud of Suyakṣa
• सुयक्षकर्दमैः: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुयक्षस्य कर्दमैः)

• लिप्तः: smeared/anointed
• लिप्तः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• येन: by which/with which
• येन: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• जगद्गुरुः: teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः गुरुः)

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अप्यायितम्: nourished/increased
• अप्यायितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपि + आ + या (धातु) + णिच्? (causative sense) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• वासितम्: perfumed/fragranced
• वासितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वास् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• यशसा: by glory/fame
• यशसा: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgara Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-priest applies thick, fragrant paste to Viṣṇu; the air is scented, devotees feel the temple and town ‘nourished’—fields green, people prosperous—symbolically emanating from the act.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Jagadguru
• Lepa (anointing paste)
• Yaśas (fame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to Viṣṇu (such as anointing) nourishes the world and elevates the devotee’s renown through dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The act is praised within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting, but this verse itself does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing (lepa) of Viṣṇu with a high-quality fragrant paste (commonly sandal-based) is implied as meritorious worship.