Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्यातिभक्त्यासौ प्राह तुष्टो महेश्वरः । विभूतीः स्वाधर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्यमेव च

Transliteration

tatastasyātibhaktyāsau prāha tuṣṭo maheśvaraḥ | vibhūtīḥ svādharmajñānavairāgyaiśvaryameva ca

Translation

Then Maheśvara, pleased by his intense devotion, spoke and bestowed the Vibhūtis—divine powers—together with knowledge of one’s own dharma, dispassion (vairāgya), and true lordly prosperity.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अतिभक्त्या: because of great devotion
• अतिभक्त्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; अति-पूर्वक (intensified)

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः—क्त (pleased)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• विभूतीः: powers/glories
• विभूतीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम्

• स्वधर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्यम्: one’s own dharma, knowledge, dispassion, and lordship (as a set)
• स्वधर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; समासः—समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (स्वधर्मः च ज्ञानं च वैराग्यं च ऐश्वर्यं च)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating; Maheśvara is the granter

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maheśvara-sannidhi (unnamed)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava-line listener addressed as ‘pārtha’ in the narration; outer frame to sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara, pleased, speaks a boon: rays of ash-white vibhūti and light flow toward the devotee; symbolic icons appear—dharma-śāstra palm-leaf (svadharma-jñāna), a renunciate’s staff (vairāgya), and a royal parasol or throne motif (aiśvarya).

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• vibhūti
• svadharma
• jñāna
• vairāgya
• aiśvarya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti ripens into inner wealth—clarity of dharma, liberating knowledge, dispassion, and divinely ordered prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred place is mentioned; the verse highlights Śiva’s grace as the source of vibhūti and virtue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied discipline is intense devotion (ati-bhakti) as a spiritual means.