Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

निमीलिताक्षः सत्त्वस्थो दंतैर्दंतान्न संस्पृशेत् । तालुस्थाचलजिह्वश्च संवृतास्यः सुनिश्चलः

Transliteration

nimīlitākṣaḥ sattvastho daṃtairdaṃtānna saṃspṛśet | tālusthācalajihvaśca saṃvṛtāsyaḥ suniścalaḥ

Translation

Mit sanft geschlossenen Augen, in ruhiger Klarheit (Sattva) gegründet, soll man die Zähne nicht aufeinanderpressen; die Zunge unbewegt, am Gaumen ruhend, den Mund geschlossen — vollkommen reglos verweilen.

Word by Word

• nimīlita: closed
• nimīlita: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni+mīl (धातु) → nimīlita (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (compound-member)

• akṣaḥ: eye
• akṣaḥ: Viśeṣya (Qualified)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अक्षः’ (Vedic/poetic nom. sg. for akṣi)

• nimīlitākṣaḥ: one whose eyes are closed
• nimīlitākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nimīlita+akṣi (समास)
• Form: समासः—बहुव्रीहि (‘यस्य अक्षी निमीलिते’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sattva: mind/being; steadiness (sattva)
• sattva: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• sthaḥ: situated/steadfast
• sthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवत्/स्थ-प्रत्ययान्त adjectival), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’

• sattvasthaḥ: steadfast in composure
• sattvasthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sattva+stha (समास)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘सत्त्वे स्थितः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• daṃtaiḥ: with the teeth
• daṃtaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• dantān: the teeth
• dantān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• saṃspṛśet: should touch/press
• saṃspṛśet: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+spṛś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘(सः) संस्पृशेत्’ = ‘should touch/press’

• tālu: palate
• tālu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tālu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member)

• stha: placed in
• stha: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (compound-member)

• acala: motionless
• acala: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (compound-member)

• jihvā: tongue
• jihvā: Viśeṣya (Qualified)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (compound-member)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• tālusthācalajihvā: one whose tongue is motionless and placed on the palate
• tālusthācalajihvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tālu+stha+acala+jihvā (समास)
• Form: समासः—बहुव्रीहि (‘यस्य जिह्वा तालुस्थाऽचलाऽस्ति’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (understood with subject)

• saṃvṛta: closed
• saṃvṛta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+vṛ (धातु) → saṃvṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (compound-member)

• āsyaḥ: mouth
• āsyaḥ: Viśeṣya (Qualified)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आस्यः’ (poetic nom. sg.)

• saṃvṛtāsyaḥ: one whose mouth is closed
• saṃvṛtāsyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃvṛta+āsya (समास)
• Form: समासः—बहुव्रीहि (‘यस्य आस्यम् संवृतम्’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• su: well, very
• su: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/प्रशस्तार्थक (well, very)

• niścalaḥ: steady, unmoving
• niścalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• suniścalaḥ: very steady
• suniścalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su+niścala (समास)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (उपसर्गपूर्वपद: ‘सु-निश्चलः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of a meditating practitioner: eyelids lowered, jaw relaxed, tongue resting at the palate, spine steady; the whole body appears motionless like a lamp in windless place.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner steadiness is built through subtle bodily restraint—stillness of senses supports stillness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a yogic instruction within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu, not a direct tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditate with eyes closed, teeth not clenched, tongue resting at the palate, mouth closed, and body unwavering.