Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एकैकं निर्वपेद्धूपं प्रतिपद्दिवसेऽखिलम् । जलशायी जगद्योनिः शेषपर्यंकमाश्रितः

Transliteration

ekaikaṃ nirvapeddhūpaṃ pratipaddivase'khilam | jalaśāyī jagadyoniḥ śeṣaparyaṃkamāśritaḥ

Translation

ในวันปรติปทา พึงถวายธูปทีละอย่างให้ครบถ้วนตามพิธี และพึงภาวนาถึงพระผู้บรรทมเหนือสายน้ำ ผู้เป็นครรภ์แห่งโลกทั้งปวง ประทับบนแท่นบรรทมของเศษะ

Word by Word

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (एकं च एकं च) अर्थे 'one by one'

• निर्वपेत्: should offer/should place (as offering)
• निर्वपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• धूपम्: incense
• धूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिपत्-दिवसे: on the pratipad day
• प्रतिपत्-दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपत् (प्रातिपदिक) + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अखिलम्: entirely/altogether
• अखिलम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (समस्तम्)

• जल-शायी: the one who lies on the waters (Viṣṇu)
• जल-शायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जले शायी)

• जगत्-योनिः: source of the world
• जगत्-योनिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः योनिः)

• शेष-पर्यङ्कम्: the couch of Śeṣa
• शेष-पर्यङ्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्यङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शेषस्य पर्यङ्कः)

• आश्रितः: resting on / having resorted to
• आश्रितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जलशायी इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A votary on Pratipadā offers incense in measured sequence before an image of Jalāśāyī Viṣṇu: the Lord reclining on Śeṣa over the cosmic waters, lotus and world-emergence suggested subtly.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Viṣṇu (Jalaśāyī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual offering and contemplative visualization work together: worship with incense while meditating on Viṣṇu’s cosmic form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is devotional and iconographic rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer incense items individually and completely, alongside dhyāna of the Water-Reclining Lord on Śeṣa.