Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततः प्रणम्य सर्वांस्ता नेकैकत्वेन पावकिः । व्रियतां वर इत्याह भवब्रह्मपुरोगमान्

Transliteration

tataḥ praṇamya sarvāṃstā nekaikatvena pāvakiḥ | vriyatāṃ vara ityāha bhavabrahmapurogamān

Translation

Darauf verneigte sich Pāvaki vor allen, einem nach dem anderen, und sprach zu denen, die von Bhava (Śiva) und Brahmā angeführt wurden: „Wählt euch eine Gabe.“

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधवाचक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eka-ekatvena: with single-mindedness
• eka-ekatvena: Hetu (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + ekatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (abstract noun used adverbially: 'by/with singleness')

• pāvakiḥ: Pāvaki (Guha)
• pāvakiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (epithet: 'son of Agni'/Pāvaki)

• vriyatām: choose (for yourselves)
• vriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृञ्/वृ धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• varaḥ: a boon
• varaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• bhava-brahma-purogamān: those led by Bhava (Śiva) and Brahmā
• bhava-brahma-purogamān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + purogama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; 'purogama' = पुरः-गम (अग्रे गच्छन्ति)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pāvaki (a fiery, radiant figure) bows to the gathered devas and sages, then gestures inviting them to choose a boon; Śiva and Brahmā preside as foremost elders.

Characters & Entities

• Pāvaki
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and reverence (praṇāma) precede the reception or granting of divine grace (vara) in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s divine narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the act highlighted is respectful obeisance (praṇāma) before sacred authority.