Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वरेण छन्दयामास राक्षसं वृषकेतनः । वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते तव दास्यामि सुव्रत

Transliteration

vareṇa chandayāmāsa rākṣasaṃ vṛṣaketanaḥ | varaṃ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṃ te tava dāsyāmi suvrata

Translation

Vṛṣaketu (Śiva) wollte den Rākṣasa mit einer Gnadengabe erfreuen: „Wähle eine Gabe—Heil sei dir; ich werde sie dir gewähren, o Hüter guter Gelübde.“

Word by Word

• वरेण: by a boon
• वरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• छन्दयामास: pleased; gratified
• छन्दयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छन्दय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राक्षसम्: the rākṣasa (demon)
• राक्षसम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वृषकेतनः: Vṛṣaketu (one whose banner is the bull)
• वृषकेतनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-केतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषस्य केतनम्)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वृणीष्व: choose
• वृणीष्व: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भद्रम्: good fortune; auspiciousness
• भद्रम्: Sambandha/Prayojana (Benediction/आशीः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; आशीर्वादार्थक-प्रयोग

• ते: for you; your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तव: to you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (सुन्दरं व्रतं यस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva), addressing Aṅkūra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Vṛṣaketu, serene and boon-bestowing, addresses a rākṣasa with auspicious words at a riverside tīrtha; attendants and river imagery suggest sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣaketu (Śiva)
• Aṅkūra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace culminates in vara-pradāna (granting boons), showing the Purāṇic ideal that disciplined vows lead to divine response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The boon narrative unfolds within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred setting of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes tapas and suvrata (right vow/discipline).