Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स किल श्रूयते देवः क्षीराब्धौ मधुसूदनः । सदैव भगवाञ्छेते योगनिद्रां समाश्रितः

Transliteration

sa kila śrūyate devaḥ kṣīrābdhau madhusūdanaḥ | sadaiva bhagavāñchete yoganidrāṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

因为人们听闻：神圣的摩度苏陀那卧于乳海之上，至福的世尊恒常安卧，已入瑜伽之眠。

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kila: indeed, it is said
• kila: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), hearsay/emphasis

• śrūyate: is heard, is said
• śrūyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; apposition to saḥ

• kṣīra-abdhau: in the ocean of milk
• kṣīra-abdhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक) + abdhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः), पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• madhu-sūdanaḥ: Madhusūdana (slayer of Madhu)
• madhu-sūdanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + sūdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (मधुं सूदयति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालाव्यय (adverb of time)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śete: lies, reclines
• śete: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• yoga-nidrām: yogic sleep
• yoga-nidrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (योगस्य निद्रा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samāśritaḥ: having resorted to, having assumed
• samāśritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā√śri (धातु) + samāśrita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate participle with bhagavān

Speaker

Ṛṣis (continuing their objection/questioning)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrābdhi (mythic locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic tableau: Madhusūdana reclining on Śeṣa upon the luminous Milk Ocean, surrounded by calm waves, lotus motifs, and a sense of timeless yogic sleep; gods at a distance in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)
• Yoganidrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a theological tension between cosmic Viṣṇu (Kṣīrābdhi) and localized manifestation at a pilgrimage site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself names the cosmic Kṣīrābdhi, while the surrounding passage concerns a biladvāra shrine of Jalaśāyī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides doctrinal background about Viṣṇu’s yogic sleep.