Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

चिंतयेत्परमं ब्रह्म कृत्वा तत्प्रवणं मनः । आहाराः सात्त्विकाश्चैव संसेव्याः सिद्धिमिच्छता

Transliteration

ciṃtayetparamaṃ brahma kṛtvā tatpravaṇaṃ manaḥ | āhārāḥ sāttvikāścaiva saṃsevyāḥ siddhimicchatā

Translation

പരബ്രഹ്മത്തെ നിരന്തരം ധ്യാനിച്ച് മനസ്സിനെ പൂർണ്ണമായി അതിലേക്കു ചായിക്കണം. സിദ്ധി ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ സാത്ത്വിക ആഹാരങ്ങൾ മാത്രമേ സേവിക്കേണ്ടത്।

Word by Word

• चिन्तयेत्: should contemplate
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (Absolute)
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• कृत्वा: having made / having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (deictic)

• प्रवणम्: inclined/leaning (towards)
• प्रवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• आहाराः: foods/dietary items
• आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• सात्त्विकाः: sattvic (pure)
• सात्त्विकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• संसेव्याः: should be partaken/served
• संसेव्याः: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु) + य (कृत्, भाव्य/gerundive)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be resorted to)

• सिद्धिम्: success/perfection
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• इच्छता: by one desiring
• इच्छता: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्, वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; कर्तृवाचकः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated yogin in a forest hermitage contemplates the formless Supreme; beside him are simple sāttvika offerings—fruits, barley, milk—symbolizing purity and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

God-realization requires both inner orientation (mind fixed on the Supreme) and outer discipline (pure sāttvic diet).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse teaches general yogic sādhanā within the Purāṇic dharma framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary discipline: the aspirant seeking siddhi should adopt sāttvic foods.