Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । प्रभूतानि त्वयोक्तानि व्रतानि नियमास्तथा । प्रसुप्ते पुंडरीकाक्षे येषां संख्या न विद्यते

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | prabhūtāni tvayoktāni vratāni niyamāstathā | prasupte puṃḍarīkākṣe yeṣāṃ saṃkhyā na vidyate

Translation

เหล่าฤๅษีกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ท่านได้กล่าวถึงวรตะและนียมะเป็นอันมาก—มากจนมิอาจนับได้—ในกาลที่พระผู้มีเนตรดุจดอกบัว ปุณฑรีกाक्षะ ประทับอยู่ในนิทราอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์”

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• prabhūtāni: many; abundant
• prabhūtāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nom/Acc plural); व्रतानि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)

• uktāni: spoken; stated
• uktāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; prabhūtāni इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• vratāni: vows; observances
• vratāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nom/Acc plural)

• niyamāḥ: rules; restraints
• niyamāḥ: Karma (Co-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• tathā: and also; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषणम् (adverb)

• prasupte: when (he is) asleep
• prasupte: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-supta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular); पुंडरीकाक्षे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• puṃḍarīkākṣe: O lotus-eyed one
• puṃḍarīkākṣe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃḍarīka-akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular); संबोधनार्थे/अधिकरणे प्रयोगः

• yeṣām: of which (vows/rules)
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural)

• saṃkhyā: number; count
• saṃkhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• vidyate: exists; is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे प्रयोगः (exists)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāturmāsya (temporal tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questioning the narrator about countless vows observed during the lotus-eyed Lord’s cosmic sleep; imagery hints at Viṣṇu reclining on Śeṣa in the background as a symbolic overlay.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu)
• Vrata
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is supported by regulated vows and disciplines, especially in sacred seasonal windows like Cāturmāsya, approached through humble inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tirtha is specified in this opening question; it transitions from site-māhātmya into vrata-focused instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references numerous vratas and niyamas observed during the period associated with Viṣṇu’s sacred sleep (commonly linked with Cāturmāsya).