Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य लोकपाला जगद्धिताः । वरदं प्रार्थयामासुर्देवं वरमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

etacchrutvā vacastasya lokapālā jagaddhitāḥ | varadaṃ prārthayāmāsurdevaṃ varamanuttamam

Translation

Als sie seine Worte hörten, begannen die Lokapālas, auf das Wohl des Weltalls bedacht, den segenspendenden Gott um den höchsten aller Segen zu bitten.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• vacaḥ: words/speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (एतत्-वाचः = 'these words')

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• lokapālāḥ: the Lokapālas
• lokapālāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pāla (प्रातिपदिक); समास: लोकपाल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• jagaddhitāḥ: beneficial to the world/world-welfare-minded
• jagaddhitāḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jagat + hita (प्रातिपदिक); समास: जगद्धित
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लोकपालाः)

• varadam: boon-giving
• varadam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara + da (प्रातिपदिक); समास: वरद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying देवं)

• prārthayāmāsuḥ: requested/begged
• prārthayāmāsuḥ: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-arth (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); आत्मनेपदम्; णिजन्त: 'to request/beg'

• devam: the god (Śiva)
• devam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Requested object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (प्रार्थनाविषयः)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed/supreme
• anuttamam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वरम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra) in frame; Lokapālas address the Deva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lokapālas, hands folded, bow before the boon-giving Śiva; their faces show humility and concern for the cosmos as they request the supreme boon.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapāla
• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boons are those aligned with jagad-hita—service to cosmic order—rather than private gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā-khaṇḍa setting implies the Narmadā sacred landscape as the backdrop for these world-sustaining boons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes prayerful petitioning (prārthanā) to the Varada deity.