Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तन्मनः क्षमया ग्राह्यं यथा वह्निश्च वारिणा । एकया क्षमया सर्वो नियमः कथितो बुधैः

Transliteration

tanmanaḥ kṣamayā grāhyaṃ yathā vahniśca vāriṇā | ekayā kṣamayā sarvo niyamaḥ kathito budhaiḥ

Translation

Dieser Geist soll durch Geduld gezügelt werden, wie Feuer durch Wasser besänftigt wird. Ja, durch eine einzige Tugend—Geduld—erklären die Weisen alle Disziplinen als erfüllt.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; मनः इति विशेष्यस्य निर्देशः

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षमया: by patience/forbearance
• क्षमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ग्राह्यम्: should be restrained/held
• ग्राह्यम्: Vidheya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त, यत्/gerundive)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive: 'to be grasped/controlled'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (मनः ... ग्राह्यम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'just as')

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वारिणा: by water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकया: by one (single)
• एकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्षमया इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्षमया: by patience
• क्षमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सर्वः: all/entire
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नियमः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नियमः: restraint/discipline
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथितः: has been declared/taught
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim seated by a tīrtha-ghāṭa, cooling a blazing sacrificial fire with a water-pot—symbolizing anger subdued by forbearance; sages gesture teaching niyama as one-pointed virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣamā (forbearance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forbearance is the master-key of discipline: it cools the mind like water quells fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on inner restraint taught within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cultivating kṣamā (patience/forgiveness) as the central niyama supporting all other vows.