Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । कुशध्वजाहं तुष्टोद्य वरं वरय वांछितम् । न हीदृशमनुष्ठानं कस्याप्यस्ति महीतले

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | kuśadhvajāhaṃ tuṣṭodya varaṃ varaya vāṃchitam | na hīdṛśamanuṣṭhānaṃ kasyāpyasti mahītale

Translation

Īśvara dijo: «Oh Kuśadhvaja, hoy estoy complacido. Elige el don que anhelas. Pues sobre la faz de la tierra nadie posee una observancia y adoración como ésta».

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord (Īśvara)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kuśadhvaja: O Kuśadhvaja
• kuśadhvaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśadhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √tuṣ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (aham)

• adya: today
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• varaya: choose
• varaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु; वरयति)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vāṃchitam: desired
• vāṃchitam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāṃchita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vāñch)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (varam)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• īdṛśam: such
• īdṛśam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (anuṣṭhānam)

• anuṣṭhānam: observance/rite
• anuṣṭhānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuṣṭhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• kasya: of anyone
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• api: even/at all
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (inclusive particle)

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahītale: on the earth
• mahītale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahītala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śambhu/Īśvara (within the narrated exchange); outer frame not explicit in this verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) addresses Kuśadhvaja with a boon-offering gesture, the devotee standing with folded hands, aura of tapas around him.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śiva
• Kuśadhvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Exceptional devotion and disciplined observance (anuṣṭhāna) elicit Śiva’s direct grace and the granting of boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it glorifies the efficacy of Śaiva worship itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse does not prescribe a new ritual; it praises the devotee’s anuṣṭhāna and introduces the granting of a boon.