Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

प्रमाणं हि मनस्तस्मात्सर्वकृत्येषु सर्वदा । एतस्मात्कारणात्पूर्णो मयाऽस्या निग्रहः कृतः

Transliteration

pramāṇaṃ hi manastasmātsarvakṛtyeṣu sarvadā | etasmātkāraṇātpūrṇo mayā'syā nigrahaḥ kṛtaḥ

Translation

Ainsi, l’esprit est toujours la mesure décisive en toute entreprise. C’est pour cette raison que j’ai imposé sur elle une contrainte totale.

Word by Word

• प्रमाणम्: authority; standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karta/Predicative (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• सर्वकृत्येषु: in all actions/duties
• सर्वकृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः: सर्वकृत्य (all duties)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: always)

• एतस्मात्: from this; because of this
• एतस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणात्: from the reason; due to the cause
• कारणात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्णः: complete; full
• पूर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying निग्रहः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• निग्रहः: restraint; suppression
• निग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतः: done; made
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicative verbal notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (done/made)

Speaker

Hārīta (implied from immediate narrative context; confirmed explicitly in 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāmadeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hārīta declares the mind the ultimate standard; a symbolic ‘binding’ or ‘circle of restraint’ is shown—threads, a boundary line, or a stone-seat—indicating complete control imposed upon the subject.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Since the mind governs speech and deed, dharma prioritizes mental discipline; restraint is justified when the root (mind) is corrupted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the moral framework within the surrounding tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the emphasis is on internal regulation (nigraha) as a dharmic corrective.