Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण तप उग्रं प्रवर्त्तते । ब्रह्मचर्यात्परं नास्ति धर्मसाधन मुत्तमम्

Transliteration

brahmacaryaprabhāveṇa tapa ugraṃ pravarttate | brahmacaryātparaṃ nāsti dharmasādhana muttamam

Translation

ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งพรหมจรรย์ ตบะอันเข้มข้นย่อมสัมฤทธิ์ผลและก้าวหน้า ไม่มีเครื่องมืออันประเสริฐยิ่งเพื่อบรรลุธรรมเหนือพรหมจรรย์

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण: by the power of brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यप्रभावेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य प्रभावः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उग्रम्: fierce, intense
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds, becomes active
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; प्र-उपसर्ग

• ब्रह्मचर्यात्: than/from brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• परम्: higher, superior
• परम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘नास्ति’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मसाधनम्: means of dharma
• धर्मसाधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य साधनम्)

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धर्मसाधनम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined vratī seated in meditation near a sacred waterbody; a faint aura suggests tapas gaining force; in the distance, a Viṣṇu shrine and pilgrims; the composition emphasizes controlled posture and focused gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (brahmacarya) is depicted as the key force that makes austerity potent and dharma attainable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is a general dharma-sādhana teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice brahmacarya as a principal discipline to support stronger tapas and successful dharmic observance.