Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

निरुद्धेंद्रियवृत्तित्वाद्ब्रध्नो ध्यानसमाधिना । न जग्राह वचः शंभोर्द्वित्रिरुक्तोप्यकर्णवत्

Transliteration

niruddheṃdriyavṛttitvādbradhno dhyānasamādhinā | na jagrāha vacaḥ śaṃbhordvitriruktopyakarṇavat

Translation

Dahil napigil ni Bradhna (ang Araw) ang paggalaw ng kanyang mga pandama sa pamamagitan ng pagninilay at samādhi, hindi niya naunawaan ang mga salita ni Śambhu—kahit ulitin nang dalawa o tatlong ulit—na waring wala siyang pandinig.

Word by Word

• निरुद्धेन्द्रियवृत्तित्वात्: because of restraint of the senses’ activities
• निरुद्धेन्द्रियवृत्तित्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरुद्ध-इन्द्रिय-वृत्ति-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; निरुद्ध + इन्द्रिय + वृत्ति + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (abl. sg. neut., ‘because of’)

• ब्रध्नः: of Bradhna (a name of the ascetic)
• ब्रध्नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रध्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• ध्यानसमाधिना: by meditation and samādhi
• ध्यानसमाधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान-समाधि (प्रातिपदिक; ध्यान + समाधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/साधनभावे (instr. sg.)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• जग्राह: grasped; perceived
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्सभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• शंभोः: of Śambhu
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• द्वित्रिरुक्तः: (though) spoken two or three times
• द्वित्रिरुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-त्रि-उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; द्वि + त्रि + उक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (nom. sg. masc.), ‘spoken two or three times’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• अकर्णवत्: like one without ears; as if deaf
• अकर्णवत्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकर्णवत् (प्रातिपदिक; अ + कर्ण + वत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्/तुल्योपमा; अव्ययप्राय विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like adjective), ‘as if earless’

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda-to-Agastya context in Kāśī Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sun sits/stands absorbed in samādhi, senses withdrawn; Śiva’s words fall like echoes unheard, emphasizing the depth of yogic restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Bradhna (Sūrya)
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deep samādhi can suspend ordinary sensory cognition; inner absorption surpasses external hearing and response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa frames the episode within Kāśī’s sacred field, where yogic absorption and Śiva’s presence are central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the practice implied is yogic restraint (indriya-nigraha) and dhyāna-samādhi.