Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

निगृहीतेंद्रियग्रामो यत्रैव च वसेन्नरः । तत्र तस्य कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च

Transliteration

nigṛhīteṃdriyagrāmo yatraiva ca vasennaraḥ | tatra tasya kurukṣetraṃ naimiṣaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca

Translation

ณ ที่ใดบุรุษพำนักโดยสำรวมหมู่แห่งอินทรีย์ไว้ ที่นั่นเองย่อมเป็นกุรุเกษตร ไนมิษะ และปุษกระ ตีรถะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์สำหรับเขา

Word by Word

• निगृहीत-इन्द्रिय-ग्रामः: one whose group of senses is restrained
• निगृहीत-इन्द्रिय-ग्रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निगृहीत (ग्रह् धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियाणां ग्रामः) + उपपद-विशेषण (निगृहीतः)

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

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

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

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: 'there')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Pradhana/Predicate nominative (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa
• नैमिषम्: Pradhana/Predicate nominative (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkara (holy places)
• पुष्कराणि: Pradhana/Predicate nominative (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mānasa-tīrtha (inner sanctification) equated in merit to Kurukṣetra–Naimiṣa–Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder or ascetic seated calmly in a simple dwelling; senses symbolized as subdued animals (horses/serpents) at his feet; in the background, faint visionary silhouettes of Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa forest, and Puṣkara lake appear as if superimposed upon his home.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha is created by inner discipline; sense-control sanctifies wherever one resides.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣāraṇya, and Puṣkara are cited as benchmarks of holiness, equated to a disciplined dwelling-place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the ‘practice’ emphasized is indriya-nigraha (restraint of the senses).