Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वरं वरय भद्रं ते यो नित्यं मन सि स्थितः

Transliteration

varaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te yo nityaṃ mana si sthitaḥ

Translation

اختر نعمةً—لتكن البركة لك—تلك النعمة التي ثبتت أبداً في قلبك.

Word by Word

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• varaya: choose/ask (for)
• varaya: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (धातु, ‘to choose’)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• bhadram: good fortune
• bhadram: Sambandha (Benediction/आशीः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; आशीर्वचन-प्रयोग (benedictive usage)

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘always’

• manaḥ: in the mind
• manaḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (पाठभेद-सूचना: ‘mana si’ = manasi)

• si: (part of ‘manasi’)
• si: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: (sandhi part)
• Form: सन्धि-विभाग (sandhi split element): ‘si’ is part of ‘manasi’

• sthitaḥ: situated/abiding
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण ‘yaḥ’ के लिए

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation of address to Vṛka)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā offers a boon with a blessing gesture; the ascetic’s long-cherished desire is about to be spoken, the air bright with auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vṛka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is meant to mature intention (saṅkalpa); the divine invites the seeker to articulate the inner aim responsibly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on boon-bestowal within the larger Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is the formal offering of a boon as the culmination of austerity.