Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

नियमं चातिजग्राह विजितेंद्रियमानसः । एकपत्नीव्रतं नित्यं चरिष्यामीति निश्चितम्

Transliteration

niyamaṃ cātijagrāha vijiteṃdriyamānasaḥ | ekapatnīvrataṃ nityaṃ cariṣyāmīti niścitam

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെയും മനസ്സിനെയും ജയിച്ച് അവൻ നിയമാനുഷ്ഠാനങ്ങൾ സ്വീകരിച്ചു; കൂടാതെ “ഞാൻ നിത്യം ഏകപത്നീവ്രതം ആചരിക്കും” എന്നു ദൃഢമായി നിശ്ചയിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• नियमम्: a rule; observance
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

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

• अतिजग्राह: undertook; accepted firmly
• अतिजग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विजितेन्द्रियमानसः: one who has conquered senses and mind
• विजितेन्द्रियमानसः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + जि (धातु) → विजित (कृदन्त, क्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विजिते इन्द्रिये च मानसं च यस्य) (nominative singular; past participial adjective)

• एकपत्नीव्रतम्: vow of one wife (monogamy)
• एकपत्नीव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एकस्याः पत्न्याः व्रतम् / एकपत्नी-व्रतम्) (accusative singular)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषणप्रयोग (adverbial: always)

• चरिष्यामि: I shall practice/observe
• चरिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• निश्चितम्: it was resolved; decided
• निश्चितम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + चि (धातु) → निश्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (predicate: decided)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed youth in meditation posture, senses subdued, taking a solemn vow before a household fire or Śiva shrine: lifelong fidelity to one wife.

Characters & Entities

• Vrata (ekapatnī-vrata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-mastery (control of senses and mind) is the ground of dharma, expressed here as a steadfast vow of fidelity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is ethical rather than topographical; in context it supports the Kāśī-centered Śaiva path of purity and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of niyama and the specific ‘eka-patnī-vrata’ (vow of one spouse) is prescribed.