Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

निस्तरंगं विनिर्गृह्य स्थितमिंद्रियगोचरान् । आत्मानमात्मना देवं प्रविष्टं तपसो निधिम्

Transliteration

nistaraṃgaṃ vinirgṛhya sthitamiṃdriyagocarān | ātmānamātmanā devaṃ praviṣṭaṃ tapaso nidhim

Translation

ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಗಳ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಯಂತ್ರಿಸಿ, ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ತರಂಗರಹಿತವಾಗಿಸಿ, ಅವನು ಆತ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರನಾದನು—ಮತ್ತು ಆತ್ಮದ ಮೂಲಕ ತಪಸ್ಸಿನ ನಿಧಿಸ್ವರೂಪನಾದ ದೇವನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• nistaraṅgam: waveless, unagitated
• nistaraṅgam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥ (उपसर्ग) + taraṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (wave-less, unperturbed)

• vinirgṛhya: having restrained/withdrawn
• vinirgṛhya: Kriya-viseshana (Gerundial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi + nir + √grah (ग्रह्) + ल्यप्
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘विनिर्गृह्य’ = ‘नियन्त्र्य/निगृह्य’

• sthitam: standing/remaining
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• indriya-gocarān: the sense-objects/ranges of the senses
• indriya-gocarān: Karman (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘इन्द्रियाणां गोचराः’

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• ātmanā: by the Self
• ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणम्

• devam: the God
• devam: Karman (Object/apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (apposition)

• praviṣṭam: entered/absorbed
• praviṣṭam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √viś (विश्) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘प्रविष्टम्’

• tapasaḥ: of austerity
• tapasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः

• nidhim: treasure, repository
• nidhim: Karman (Object/apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (apposition)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Antar-tīrtha (inner tīrtha) of Śiva’s samādhi (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: the senses withdrawn, the mind rendered wave-less; the practitioner’s awareness ‘enters’ the deity—Śiva as the treasury of tapas—suggested through stillness rather than action.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Deva)
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-restraint and inner stillness culminate in absorption in the Divine—tapas is inward mastery, not mere hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse presents an inner tīrtha—stilling the mind and turning inward to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the implied discipline is indriya-nigraha and meditative absorption.