Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

तिष्ठेदिंद्रियचापल्यं यो निवार्य क्षणं कृती । निर्वाणमंडपेन्यत्र तेन तप्तं महत्तपः

Transliteration

tiṣṭhediṃdriyacāpalyaṃ yo nivārya kṣaṇaṃ kṛtī | nirvāṇamaṃḍapenyatra tena taptaṃ mahattapaḥ

Translation

നിർവാണമണ്ഡപത്തിൽ കഴിവുള്ളവൻ ഒരു ക്ഷണമെങ്കിലും ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളുടെ ചാപല്യം നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് നിലകൊള്ളുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, അവൻ മഹത്തായ തപസ് അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചതായി കരുതപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तिष्ठेत्: should remain/stand firm
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘तिष्ठति’ इत्यस्य विध्यर्थ

• इन्द्रियचापल्यम्: restlessness of the senses
• इन्द्रियचापल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय-चापल्य (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रिय + चापल्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निवार्यवस्तु

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निवार्य: having restrained
• निवार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-वार् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘निवारणं कृत्वा’

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Karma (Extent/अत्यन्तसंयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (extent of time)

• कृती: capable/adept
• कृती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक विशेषण ‘समर्थः/कुशलः’

• निर्वाणमण्डपे: in the Nirvāṇa pavilion
• निर्वाणमण्डपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण-मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• न्यत्र: elsewhere
• न्यत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (elsewhere/other place)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• तप्तम्: has been performed (austerity)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अनुष्ठितम्’

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

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाच्ये विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirvāṇa Maṇḍapa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the Nirvāṇa Maṇḍapa, a practitioner sits motionless, eyes half-closed, senses withdrawn; around him the bustle of pilgrims fades into a halo of stillness, signifying inner conquest.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Nirvāṇa Maṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, inner discipline is exalted: even brief sense-restraint is counted as major tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nirvāṇa Maṇḍapa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practicing indriya-nigraha (restraint of the senses) while staying in the sacred precinct.