Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

संनिरुध्येन्द्रियग्रामं यत्रयत्र वसेन्मुनिः । तत्रतत्र कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च

Transliteration

saṃnirudhyendriyagrāmaṃ yatrayatra vasenmuniḥ | tatratatra kurukṣetraṃ naimiṣaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca

Translation

ณ ที่ใดๆ ที่มุนีผู้สำรวมหมู่แห่งอินทรีย์พำนักอยู่ ณ ที่นั้นๆ ย่อมเป็นกุรุเกษตร ไนมิษะ และปุษกระด้วย คือมหาตีรถะทั้งหลายสถิตอยู่ในท่าน

Word by Word

• संनिरुध्य: having restrained
• संनिरुध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-रुध् (धातु √रुध्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having restrained’

• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: the group of senses
• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; इन्द्रियाणां ग्रामः (collection of senses)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (wherever)

• वसेत्: may dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु √वस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (there)

• तत्र: there (in every such place)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (in each such place)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कुरूणां क्षेत्रम् (Kurukṣetra)

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa
• नैमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; place-name

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkara (holy places)
• पुष्कराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; place-name(s)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra; Naimiṣāraṇya; Puṣkara (invoked)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering muni with controlled senses sits beneath a tree; around him appear symbolic overlays of Kurukṣetra’s field, Naimiṣa’s forest-wheel, and Puṣkara’s lotus lake—showing all tīrthas converging in his presence.

Characters & Entities

• Muni
• Indriyas (senses)
• Kurukṣetra
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha is also inward: mastery over the senses sanctifies one’s very dwelling as the highest pilgrimage-grounds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, and Puṣkara are invoked as archetypal supreme tīrthas, declared present wherever a self-controlled muni resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indriya-nigraha (restraint of the senses) and disciplined living (yoga-like conduct) are prescribed as the inner equivalent of pilgrimage.