Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

वरं वृणीष्व देवेशि वाञ्छितं दुर्लभं सुरैः । दुर्गसंसारकान्तारपतितैः परमेश्वरि

Transliteration

varaṃ vṛṇīṣva deveśi vāñchitaṃ durlabhaṃ suraiḥ | durgasaṃsārakāntārapatitaiḥ parameśvari

Translation

O Göttin, Herrscherin der Götter—wähle eine Gabe, die ersehnte, selbst eine, die für die Devas schwer zu erlangen ist. O höchste Herrin, für jene, die in die gefährliche Wildnis des Saṃsāra gefallen sind, (gewähre rettende Gnade).

Word by Word

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृणीष्व: choose
• वृणीष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), आत्मनेपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवेशि: O goddess, ruler of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईशि/ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशी)

• वाञ्छितम्: desired
• वाञ्छितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वरम्)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वरम्)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दुर्गसंसारकान्तारपतितैः: by those fallen into the difficult wilderness of saṃsāra
• दुर्गसंसारकान्तारपतितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्ग + संसार + कान्तार + पतित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अस्माभिः/जनैः इति अध्याहारः); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुर्गे संसारे कान्तारे पतिताः)

• परमेश्वरि: O supreme goddess
• परमेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वरि/ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमा ईश्वरी)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual: a divine interlocutor addressing Śrī/Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant addresses the Supreme Goddess, depicted as regal Devī; behind, a symbolic dark forest represents saṃsāra, with a clear path opening by her grace.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Parameśvarī)
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the rarest boon is attainable through divine grace, especially for beings trapped in the difficult wilderness of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is on Devī’s boon-giving; the broader Adhyāya moves toward the sanctification of the Nārāyaṇagiri region in the Revā-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it introduces a boon-request motif grounded in devotion (bhakti).