Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधाख्यं योगतत्त्वं प्रकीर्त्यते । तदष्टांगप्रकारेण साधयंतीह योगिनः

Transliteration

cittavṛttinirodhākhyaṃ yogatattvaṃ prakīrtyate | tadaṣṭāṃgaprakāreṇa sādhayaṃtīha yoginaḥ

Translation

Die Wahrheit des Yoga wird als „das Zur-Ruhe-Bringen der Wandlungen des Geistes“ verkündet; und Yogins vollbringen dies hier durch die achtgliedrige Methode.

Word by Word

• चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधाख्यम्: called ‘cessation of the mind’s modifications’
• चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधाख्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + निरोध (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• योगतत्त्वम्: the essence of yoga
• योगतत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकीर्त्यते: is proclaimed; is described
• प्रकीर्त्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• तत्: that (yoga)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अष्टाङ्गप्रकारेण: by the method of eight limbs
• अष्टाङ्गप्रकारेण: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• साधयन्ति: practice; accomplish
• साधयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• इह: here (in this world/teaching)
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb), देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• योगिनः: yogins; practitioners
• योगिनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teaching crystallizes: Yoga is the stilling of the mind’s waves; yogins are shown practicing the eightfold path in a serene hermitage setting.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yoga
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yoga is inner mastery—stilling the mind’s movements—systematically attained through an eightfold discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is a doctrinal definition within the broader sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The eightfold (aṣṭāṅga) method is prescribed as the practical framework for yoga.