Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

त्वष्टारमब्रवीत्तुष्टो वरं वरय सुव्रत । तदा वव्रे वरं त्वष्टा सर्वलोकभयावहम् । वरं पुत्रो हि दात्वोय देवानां हि भयावहः

Transliteration

tvaṣṭāramabravīttuṣṭo varaṃ varaya suvrata | tadā vavre varaṃ tvaṣṭā sarvalokabhayāvaham | varaṃ putro hi dātvoya devānāṃ hi bhayāvahaḥ

Translation

Zufrieden sprach Brahmā zu Tvaṣṭṛ: „O du von vortrefflichen Gelübden, wähle eine Gabe.“ Da erbat Tvaṣṭṛ eine Gabe, die allen Welten Furcht einflößen sollte: „Gewähre mir einen Sohn, der den Göttern zum Schrecken wird.“

Word by Word

• tvaṣṭāram: Tvaṣṭṛ (as object)
• tvaṣṭāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (त्वष्टृ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• abravīt: said; spoke to
• abravīt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (brahmā implied)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (वर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• varaya: choose
• varaya: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु; ‘choose’)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• su-vrata: O you of good vows
• su-vrata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (सुव्रत-प्रातिपदिक; सु + व्रत)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (तदा अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• vavre: chose
• vavre: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु; ‘choose’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (वर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tvaṣṭā: Tvaṣṭṛ
• tvaṣṭā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (त्वष्टृ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-loka-bhaya-āvaham: bringing fear to all worlds
• sarva-loka-bhaya-āvaham: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-loka-bhaya-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + लोक + भय + आवह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (varam इत्यस्य)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (वर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• putraḥ: a son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (पुत्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (particle: ‘indeed/for’)

• dātvā: having given
• dātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

• bhaya-āvahaḥ: bringing fear
• bhaya-āvahaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; भय + आवह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ayam/putraḥ इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Brahmā (within the narrative); framed by Lomaśa/Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, calm and radiant, offers a boon to the vow-observant Tvaṣṭṛ; Tvaṣṭṛ’s face is stern, requesting a son who will terrify the gods—shadow falling across the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boons gained through tapas still reflect the seeker’s intention; fear and vengeance can manifest as world-afflicting consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred narrative flow, but it does not directly praise a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and boon-seeking are implied; no specific ritual details are provided in this verse.