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
Có phải là lễ tế lửa (homa), hay trì tụng (japa), hay bố thí—xin hãy nói cho chúng tôi. Sūta đáp: Hỡi các brāhmaṇa, bất cứ kỷ luật nào được thực hành khi Đấng mang cờ Garuḍa đang an trú trong giấc ngủ thiêng—
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.