Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तस्य महेश्वरः । अब्रवीद्वृणु भद्रं ते वरं यत्ते हृदिस्थितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā tuṣṭastasya maheśvaraḥ | abravīdvṛṇu bhadraṃ te varaṃ yatte hṛdisthitam

Translation

وبعد زمنٍ طويل رضي عنه المهيشڤرا (شِڤا) وقال: «ليكن لك الخير؛ اختر النعمة التي تستقر في قلبك».

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• कालेन: with/by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, instrumental singular

• महता: great, long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, instrumental singular (agreeing with ‘कालेन’)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tuṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; past participle, masculine, nominative singular

• तस्य: with him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, genitive singular

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Shiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘महान् ईश्वरः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; aorist, active, 3rd person singular

• वृणु: choose
• वृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (धातु; वृणुते/वृणोति ‘to choose’)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; imperative, active, 2nd person singular

• भद्रम्: good fortune, auspiciousness
• भद्रम्: Sambandha (Benediction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular (आशीर्वादार्थक)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, dative singular

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun, neuter, nominative/accusative singular (referring to ‘वरम्’)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, genitive singular

• हृदिस्थितम्: situated in (your) heart
• हृदिस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdi (हृd्; ‘hṛd’ प्रातिपदिक, सप्तमी-एकवचन रूप) + sthita (√sthā, धातु; क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘हृदि स्थितम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular (agreeing with ‘यत्/वरम्’)

Speaker

Pulastya (narrating Śiva’s response)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbudācala

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahēśvara manifests at the cave entrance or within the cavern, radiant and calm, addressing the tapasvin with a blessing gesture, offering a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Candra (implied)
• Vara (boon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere austerity culminates in īśvara-anugraha (divine grace), where the devotee’s inner intention becomes the basis for a boon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative supports the sanctity of the Arbuda/Candrodbheda setting by showing Śiva’s direct intervention there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights tapas leading to Śiva’s satisfaction.