Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

संनिरुध्येन्द्रियग्रामं यत्र यत्र वसेन्मुनिः । तत्र तत्र कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च

Transliteration

saṃnirudhyendriyagrāmaṃ yatra yatra vasenmuniḥ | tatra tatra kurukṣetraṃ naimiṣaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രിയസമൂഹത്തെ ദൃഢമായി നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് മുനി എവിടെയെവിടെയാണു വസിക്കുന്നത്, അവിടെയവിടെ ആ സ്ഥലം കുരുക്ഷേത്രം, നൈമിഷം, പുഷ്കരം എന്നിവപോലെ പവിത്ര തീർത്ഥമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• संनिरुध्य: having restrained
• संनिरुध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+नि+रुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having restrained'

• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: the group of senses
• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियाणां ग्रामः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• वसेत्: may dwell, should reside
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (demonstrative adverb)

• तत्र: in that very place
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Pradhana-nama (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa (forest)
• नैमिषम्: Pradhana-nama (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; place-name

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkara(s)
• पुष्कराणि: Pradhana-nama (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; place-name(s)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Any place sanctified by a self-controlled muni (portable tīrtha principle)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering muni seated in meditation, senses restrained; around him the landscape subtly transforms—lotuses bloom, a sacred aura forms—signifying Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, and Puṣkara qualities arising in that spot.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (indriya-nigraha) and disciplined dwelling sanctify life; holiness is generated by dharma, not merely geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣāraṇya, and Puṣkara are invoked as benchmarks of sanctity—then extended to any place where a restrained sage resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the ‘practice’ emphasized is internal discipline—restraining the senses while living in a place.