Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मनसो विजये नित्यमश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । कल्पनाविजयान्नित्यं यज्ञं सौत्रामणिं लभेत्

Transliteration

manaso vijaye nityamaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet | kalpanāvijayānnityaṃ yajñaṃ sautrāmaṇiṃ labhet

Translation

Durch beständigen Sieg über den Geist erlangt man die Frucht des Aśvamedha. Durch beständigen Sieg über Einbildung und geistige Konstruktionen erlangt man das Verdienst des Sautrāmaṇi-Opfers.

Word by Word

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विजये: in (the) conquest
• विजये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध-फल (प्रातिपदिक; अश्वमेध + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कल्पनाविजयात्: from the conquest of imagination (mental construction)
• कल्पनाविजयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पना-विजय (प्रातिपदिक; कल्पना + विजय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• यज्ञम्: a sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सौत्रामणिम्: the Sautrāmaṇi (sacrifice)
• सौत्रामणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौत्रामणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya context; internal narrator not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin holds a luminous ‘horse’ made of light (symbol of mind) tethered at the heart—Aśvamedha internalized; above, swirling thought-forms (kalpanā) dissolve into clear sky; a faint royal sacrifice pavilion appears as a translucent overlay, replaced by a simple meditation seat.

Characters & Entities

• Mind (manas)
• Aśvamedha
• Sautrāmaṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mastery of mind and imagination is equated with the highest Vedic sacrificial fruits, elevating inner tapas over external performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named location appears; the emphasis is on the spiritual fruit (phala) that makes pilgrimage meaningful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha and Sautrāmaṇi are cited as comparators; the ‘prescription’ is internal discipline—mind and imagination control.