Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

इद्रियाणां ग्रहः कार्यस्तपसो लक्षणं परम् । निवृत्त्येंद्रियलौल्यं च चातुर्मास्ये महत्तपः

Transliteration

idriyāṇāṃ grahaḥ kāryastapaso lakṣaṇaṃ param | nivṛttyeṃdriyalaulyaṃ ca cāturmāsye mahattapaḥ

Translation

Il faut exercer la maîtrise des sens : c’est le signe suprême de l’austérité (tapas). Se détourner de l’agitation des plaisirs des sens : voilà le grand tapas durant la saison de Cāturmāsya.

Word by Word

• indriyāṇām: of the senses
• indriyāṇām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन

• grahaḥ: restraint, control
• grahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• kāryaḥ: to be done, obligatory
• kāryaḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of grahaḥ)

• tapasaḥ: of austerity
• tapasaḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• lakṣaṇam: mark, characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• param: supreme, highest
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of lakṣaṇam)

• nivṛtti: cessation, withdrawal
• nivṛtti: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• indriyalaulyam: fickleness/restlessness of the senses
• indriyalaulyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya + laulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (restlessness of senses)

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

• cāturmāsye: in the Cāturmāsya (four-month observance/season)
• cāturmāsye: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locus/time)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of tapaḥ)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāturmāsya-tapas (seasonal austerity)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An observer of Cāturmāsya seated in meditation, senses withdrawn; temptations symbolized at the margins, while the practitioner remains steady—showing tapas as self-mastery.

Characters & Entities

• Cāturmāsya
• Indriya (senses)
• Tapaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True austerity is measured by mastery over the senses, not merely by outward observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse extols Cāturmāsya discipline as a sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice indriya-graha (sense-restraint) and withdraw from sensual fickleness as the chief Cāturmāsya tapas.