Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नियमं चेति गृह्णीयाज्जितक्रोधो जितेंद्रियः । संत्यक्तास्पृश्य संस्पर्शः शुचिस्तद्गतमानसः

Transliteration

niyamaṃ ceti gṛhṇīyājjitakrodho jiteṃdriyaḥ | saṃtyaktāspṛśya saṃsparśaḥ śucistadgatamānasaḥ

Translation

ക്രോധം ജയിച്ച് ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് നിയമവ്രതം സ്വീകരിക്കണം; അശുദ്ധസ്പർശം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ശുചിയായി നിന്ന് മനസ്സിനെ ദേവിയിലേയ്ക്ക് ഏകാഗ്രമാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• niyamam: discipline, rule
• niyamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• gṛhṇīyāt: should undertake
• gṛhṇīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (should take/undertake)

• jita-krodhaḥ: having conquered anger
• jita-krodhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; जि-धातु) + krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्रोधं जितः)

• jita-indriyaḥ: having controlled the senses
• jita-indriyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; जि-धातु) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणि जितः)

• saṃtyakta-aspṛśya-saṃsparśaḥ: having abandoned contact with the untouchable/impure
• saṃtyakta-aspṛśya-saṃsparśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-tyakta (कृदन्त; त्यज्-धातु) + aspṛśya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अस्पृश्य-संस्पर्शं संत्यक्तः)

• śuciḥ: pure
• śuciḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tad-gata-mānasaḥ: whose mind is fixed on that (deity/rite)
• tad-gata-mānasaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् गतं मानसं यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vrata-observer sits in quiet meditation, senses withdrawn; symbolic depiction of anger subdued (cool moonlight, calm face), with a subtle aura of the Goddess as the mind’s object; purity symbols (water pot, clean cloth).

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata is not only ritual; it is ethical mastery—anger-control, sense-restraint, purity, and one-pointed devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the larger glorification is of Kāśī’s dharmic efficacy; this verse emphasizes personal discipline rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Take up niyama: avoid defiling contacts, maintain śauca (cleanliness), and keep the mind fixed on the deity/observance.