Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य लोकपाला जगद्धिताः । वरदं प्रार्थयामासुर्देवं वरमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

etacchrutvā vacastasya lokapālā jagaddhitāḥ | varadaṃ prārthayāmāsurdevaṃ varamanuttamam

Translation

Entendant ses paroles, les Lokapāla, soucieux du bien de l’univers, se mirent à implorer du dieu dispensateur de grâces le plus haut des dons.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• vacaḥ: words/speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (एतत्-वाचः = 'these words')

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• lokapālāḥ: the Lokapālas
• lokapālāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pāla (प्रातिपदिक); समास: लोकपाल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• jagaddhitāḥ: beneficial to the world/world-welfare-minded
• jagaddhitāḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jagat + hita (प्रातिपदिक); समास: जगद्धित
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लोकपालाः)

• varadam: boon-giving
• varadam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara + da (प्रातिपदिक); समास: वरद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying देवं)

• prārthayāmāsuḥ: requested/begged
• prārthayāmāsuḥ: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-arth (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); आत्मनेपदम्; णिजन्त: 'to request/beg'

• devam: the god (Śiva)
• devam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Requested object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (प्रार्थनाविषयः)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed/supreme
• anuttamam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वरम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra) in frame; Lokapālas address the Deva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lokapālas, hands folded, bow before the boon-giving Śiva; their faces show humility and concern for the cosmos as they request the supreme boon.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapāla
• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boons are those aligned with jagad-hita—service to cosmic order—rather than private gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā-khaṇḍa setting implies the Narmadā sacred landscape as the backdrop for these world-sustaining boons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes prayerful petitioning (prārthanā) to the Varada deity.