Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एष त्रयोदशोनाम सुविख्यातो नियंत्रकः । समंतात्कृमिभिर्व्याप्तस्तथा च दृढबन्धनैः

Transliteration

eṣa trayodaśonāma suvikhyāto niyaṃtrakaḥ | samaṃtātkṛmibhirvyāptastathā ca dṛḍhabandhanaiḥ

Translation

ଏହି ତ୍ରୟୋଦଶ ନରକ ‘ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରକ’ ନାମରେ ସୁପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ। ଏହା ସମସ୍ତଦିଗରେ କୃମିରେ ବ୍ୟାପ୍ତ ଏବଂ ଦୃଢ଼, ଅଚଳ ବନ୍ଧନରେ ଘେରା।

Word by Word

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• trayodaśaḥ: thirteenth
• trayodaśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trayodaśa (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + दश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• suvikhyātaḥ: well-known
• suvikhyātaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + vi + khyā (धातु) → vikhyāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• niyaṃtrakaḥ: controller / restrainer
• niyaṃtrakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ni + yam (धातु) → niyaṃtraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samantāt: on all sides
• samantāt: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• kṛmibhiḥ: by worms
• kṛmibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vyāptaḥ: pervaded / covered
• vyāptaḥ: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + āp (धातु) → vyāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tathā: thus / likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• dṛḍha-bandhanaiḥ: by firm bonds
• dṛḍha-bandhanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (dṛḍhāni bandhanāni)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, enclosed infernal realm labeled ‘Niyaṃtraka’: sinners immobilized by iron-like bonds while worms spread across the ground and bodies, conveying total restraint and decay.

Characters & Entities

• Niyaṃtraka (Naraka)
• Worms (kṛmi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma binds; the imagery of worms and fetters portrays how wrongdoing becomes a constricting captivity for the soul.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a specific tīrtha; it continues the chapter’s didactic description of narakas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated in this shloka.