Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ततो देवाः समभ्येत्य देवदेवं जनार्दनम् । क्षीराब्धौ संस्थितं नित्यं शेषपर्यंकशायिनम्

Transliteration

tato devāḥ samabhyetya devadevaṃ janārdanam | kṣīrābdhau saṃsthitaṃ nityaṃ śeṣaparyaṃkaśāyinam

Translation

تب دیوتا جمع ہو کر دیوتاؤں کے دیوتا جناردن کے پاس گئے—جو ہمیشہ بحرِ شیر میں قائم، شیش کے بستر پر آرام فرما ہے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Discourse/temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'then/from there')

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + √इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; ल्यप् (gerund/absolutive); 'having approached'

• देवदेवम्: the God of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (god of gods)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to देवदेवम्)

• क्षीराब्धौ: in the Milk Ocean
• क्षीराब्धौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ocean of milk)

• संस्थितम्: situated, stationed
• संस्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle, kta); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Janārdana)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (accusative used adverbially); कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• शेषपर्यङ्कशायिनम्: the one reclining on Śeṣa’s couch
• शेषपर्यङ्कशायिनम्: Karma (Object in apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष + पर्यङ्क + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (one who lies on the couch/bed of Śeṣa)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrābdhi (Anantaśayana-kṣetra, archetypal)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas arrive in reverence at the radiant Milk Ocean: Janārdana reclines on Śeṣa’s jeweled coils, lotus rising, calm waters, celestial light; devas with folded hands at the shore.

Characters & Entities

• devāḥ (gods)
• Janārdana
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, the gods themselves seek refuge in the supreme protector, highlighting surrender (śaraṇāgati) as a dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts to cosmic geography (Kṣīrābdhi, the Ocean of Milk) rather than a terrestrial tīrtha in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the gods’ approach to Viṣṇu for protection.