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

Das Begehren (kāma) ist der große Feind; diesen einen Gegner soll man standhaft besiegen. Für die großgesinnten Mahātmas, die das Begehren bezwungen haben, ist durch diesen Sieg gleichsam die ganze Welt besiegt.

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.