Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नियमं चेति गृह्णीयाज्जितक्रोधो जितेंद्रियः । संत्यक्तास्पृश्य संस्पर्शः शुचिस्तद्गतमानसः

Transliteration

niyamaṃ ceti gṛhṇīyājjitakrodho jiteṃdriyaḥ | saṃtyaktāspṛśya saṃsparśaḥ śucistadgatamānasaḥ

Translation

One should undertake the vow of restraint, having conquered anger and mastered the senses—avoiding contact with what is impure, remaining clean, and keeping the mind fixed upon Her.

Word by Word

• niyamam: discipline, rule
• niyamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• gṛhṇīyāt: should undertake
• gṛhṇīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (should take/undertake)

• jita-krodhaḥ: having conquered anger
• jita-krodhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; जि-धातु) + krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्रोधं जितः)

• jita-indriyaḥ: having controlled the senses
• jita-indriyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; जि-धातु) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणि जितः)

• saṃtyakta-aspṛśya-saṃsparśaḥ: having abandoned contact with the untouchable/impure
• saṃtyakta-aspṛśya-saṃsparśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-tyakta (कृदन्त; त्यज्-धातु) + aspṛśya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अस्पृश्य-संस्पर्शं संत्यक्तः)

• śuciḥ: pure
• śuciḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tad-gata-mānasaḥ: whose mind is fixed on that (deity/rite)
• tad-gata-mānasaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् गतं मानसं यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vrata-observer sits in quiet meditation, senses withdrawn; symbolic depiction of anger subdued (cool moonlight, calm face), with a subtle aura of the Goddess as the mind’s object; purity symbols (water pot, clean cloth).

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata is not only ritual; it is ethical mastery—anger-control, sense-restraint, purity, and one-pointed devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the larger glorification is of Kāśī’s dharmic efficacy; this verse emphasizes personal discipline rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Take up niyama: avoid defiling contacts, maintain śauca (cleanliness), and keep the mind fixed on the deity/observance.