Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण तप उग्रं प्रवर्त्तते । ब्रह्मचर्यात्परं नास्ति धर्मसाधन मुत्तमम्

Transliteration

brahmacaryaprabhāveṇa tapa ugraṃ pravarttate | brahmacaryātparaṃ nāsti dharmasādhana muttamam

Translation

Par la puissance du brahmacarya, l’austérité ardente devient efficace et s’accomplit. Il n’est pas de moyen plus élevé que le brahmacarya pour réaliser le dharma.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण: by the power of brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य प्रभावः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उग्रम्: fierce, intense
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds, becomes active
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; प्र-उपसर्ग

• ब्रह्मचर्यात्: than/from brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• परम्: higher, superior
• परम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘नास्ति’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मसाधनम्: means of dharma
• धर्मसाधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य साधनम्)

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धर्मसाधनम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined vratī seated in meditation near a sacred waterbody; a faint aura suggests tapas gaining force; in the distance, a Viṣṇu shrine and pilgrims; the composition emphasizes controlled posture and focused gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (brahmacarya) is depicted as the key force that makes austerity potent and dharma attainable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is a general dharma-sādhana teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice brahmacarya as a principal discipline to support stronger tapas and successful dharmic observance.