Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

काम एष महाशत्रुस्तमेकं निर्जयेद्दृढम् । जितकामा महात्मानस्तैर्जितं निखिलं जगत्

Transliteration

kāma eṣa mahāśatrustamekaṃ nirjayeddṛḍham | jitakāmā mahātmānastairjitaṃ nikhilaṃ jagat

Translation

الشهوة (كاما) هي العدوّ العظيم؛ فليُقهر هذا الخصم الواحد بقوة وثبات. فإن العظماء ذوي النفوس السامية إذا غلبوا الشهوة، فبتلك الغلبة كأنما غلبوا العالم كلّه.

Word by Word

• kāmaḥ: desire, lust
• kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahāśatruḥ: a great enemy
• mahāśatruḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great enemy)

• tam: him/that (desire)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ekam: alone, single
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of tam)

• nirjayet: should conquer
• nirjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + √ji (जि)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dṛḍham: firmly
• dṛḍham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• jitakāmāḥ: having conquered desire
• jitakāmāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (√ji + क्त) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (those whose desire is conquered / who have conquered desire)

• mahātmānaḥ: great souls
• mahātmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (great-souled)

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• jitam: conquered
• jitam: Kriya (Result state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ji (जि) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• nikhilam: entire
• nikhilam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of jagat)

• jagat: world
• jagat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior-sage stands with a sword of discrimination (viveka-khaḍga) facing a giant demon labeled ‘Kāma’; behind the sage, the ‘world’ appears as a city that becomes calm once the demon falls.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Conquer desire with firmness; mastery over kāma is portrayed as the decisive victory enabling mastery over life itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a universal dharma instruction within a tīrtha-glorifying chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is disciplined restraint (a form of tapas), especially aligned with vow-observance such as Cāturmāsya.