Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तन्मनः क्षमया ग्राह्यं यथा वह्निश्च वारिणा । एकया क्षमया सर्वो नियमः कथितो बुधैः

Transliteration

tanmanaḥ kṣamayā grāhyaṃ yathā vahniśca vāriṇā | ekayā kṣamayā sarvo niyamaḥ kathito budhaiḥ

Translation

മനസ്സിനെ ക്ഷമയാൽ നിയന്ത്രിക്കണം; ജലം അഗ്നിയെ ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ. ഒരേയൊരു ഗുണമായ ക്ഷമയാൽ എല്ലാ നിയമങ്ങളും സിദ്ധമാകുന്നു എന്നു ജ്ഞാനികൾ പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; मनः इति विशेष्यस्य निर्देशः

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

• क्षमया: by patience/forbearance
• क्षमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ग्राह्यम्: should be restrained/held
• ग्राह्यम्: Vidheya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त, यत्/gerundive)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive: 'to be grasped/controlled'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (मनः ... ग्राह्यम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'just as')

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वारिणा: by water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकया: by one (single)
• एकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्षमया इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्षमया: by patience
• क्षमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सर्वः: all/entire
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नियमः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नियमः: restraint/discipline
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथितः: has been declared/taught
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim seated by a tīrtha-ghāṭa, cooling a blazing sacrificial fire with a water-pot—symbolizing anger subdued by forbearance; sages gesture teaching niyama as one-pointed virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣamā (forbearance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forbearance is the master-key of discipline: it cools the mind like water quells fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on inner restraint taught within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cultivating kṣamā (patience/forgiveness) as the central niyama supporting all other vows.