Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततस्तपोऽकरोत्साध्वी तीव्रव्रतपरायणा । संयम्येन्द्रियवर्गं स्वं ध्यायमाना महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tatastapo'karotsādhvī tīvravrataparāyaṇā | saṃyamyendriyavargaṃ svaṃ dhyāyamānā maheśvaram

Translation

ثم إن تلك العذراء الصالحة شرعت في التقشّف، مخلِصةً لنذرٍ شديد؛ كابحةً جماعة حواسّها، متأمّلةً في ماهايشڤارا (شِڤا).

Word by Word

• tatas: then, thereafter
• tatas: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• akarot: did, performed
• akarot: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• sādhvī: the virtuous woman
• sādhvī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tīvra-vrata-parāyaṇā: devoted to severe vows
• tīvra-vrata-parāyaṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (tīvraṃ vrataṃ yasya parāyaṇam/ तत्परता)

• saṃyamya: having restrained
• saṃyamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√yam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having restrained’

• indriya-vargam: group of senses
• indriya-vargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (indriyāṇāṃ vargaḥ)

• svam: one’s own
• svam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; स्वकीयम् (possessive adjective)

• dhyāyamānā: meditating
• dhyāyamānā: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• maheśvaram: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from nearby ‘Sūta uvāca’ in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ (contextual audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhvī sits in firm posture on a mountain ledge, eyes half-closed, senses withdrawn; an inner vision of Maheśvara (liṅga or four-armed Śiva) glows subtly above/behind, indicating meditation rather than external epiphany.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is paired with indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and focused dhyāna on Śiva, not mere physical hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya frame, the verse functions as a lead-in to the Vindhya-region episode; the exact named tīrtha is not stated in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of a ‘tīvra-vrata’ (rigorous vow) along with meditation on Maheśvara and restraint of the senses.