Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

जितेंद्रियो जिताहारः प्रविवेश तपोवनम् । ताते तपोवनं याते धर्मगुप्ताभिधो नृपः

Transliteration

jiteṃdriyo jitāhāraḥ praviveśa tapovanam | tāte tapovanaṃ yāte dharmaguptābhidho nṛpaḥ

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രിയജയിയും ആഹാരനിയമനിഷ്ഠനും ആയി അദ്ദേഹം തപോവനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു. പിതാവ് തപോവനത്തിലേക്കു പോയപ്പോൾ ‘ധർമ്മഗുപ്തൻ’ എന്ന നൃപൻ രാജഭാരം ഏറ്റെടുത്തു.

Word by Word

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येन (तत्पुरुष; ‘one whose senses are conquered’)

• जिताहारः: moderate in diet
• जिताहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—जितः आहारः येन (तत्पुरुष; ‘one who has restrained food’)

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः—प्र

• तपोवनम्: the forest of austerities (hermitage)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तपसः वनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ताते: when the father (was...)
• ताते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘when the father…’ (locative absolute usage with participle)

• तपोवनम्: to the hermitage-forest
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• याते: having gone (when he had gone)
• याते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• धर्मगुप्ताभिधः: named Dharmagupta
• धर्मगुप्ताभिधः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मगुप्त + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—धर्मगुप्त इति अभिधः (तत्पुरुष; ‘named Dharmagupta’)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya-vāsinaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Nanda, now ascetic, leaves palace and walks into a dense tapovana; matted hair beginning, simple bark garment, waterpot; deer and sages’ huts visible; simultaneously, Dharmagupta stands poised to rule.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-mastery (sense-control and moderation) is praised as the foundation of both spiritual life and righteous leadership.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tapovana (hermitage-forest) is mentioned generally; the chapter’s broader tīrtha focus remains Dhanuṣkoṭi/Setu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; ascetic discipline (dietary restraint and sense-control) is implied.