Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वर्द्धन्युवाच । इन्द्रस्थाने सदा रम्ये सुस्थिरत्वं प्रयच्छ मे । स्वामिन्धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ लोकानां च हिताय वै

Transliteration

varddhanyuvāca | indrasthāne sadā ramye susthiratvaṃ prayaccha me | svāmindharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha lokānāṃ ca hitāya vai

Translation

Varddhanī dit : «En ce lieu d’Indra, toujours charmant, accorde-moi une demeure inébranlable, ô Seigneur—ô le meilleur des gardiens du Dharma—afin que cela serve au bien des mondes.»

Word by Word

• वर्द्धनी: Varddhanī (name)
• वर्द्धनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्द्धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इन्द्रस्थाने: in Indra’s place/seat
• इन्द्रस्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य स्थानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• रम्ये: pleasant, delightful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इन्द्रस्थाने)

• सुस्थिरत्वम्: great stability/firmness
• सुस्थिरत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु- + स्थिरत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सुस्थिरम् इति स्थिरत्वम् (कर्मधारय)

• प्रयच्छ: grant, bestow
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन-रूपम्; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to me)

• स्वामिन्: O lord/master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• धर्मभृताम्: of the upholders of dharma
• धर्मभृताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; धर्मं बिभ्रतीति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयभाव)

• श्रेष्ठ: O best/excellent one
• श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्वामिन्)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हिताय: for the welfare
• हिताय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the benefit)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय/पादपूरण (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Varddhanī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma/Yama (addressed as lord, best of dharma-bearers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varddhanī, in reverent posture, petitions the Lord of Dharma in a radiant divine precinct called Indrasthāna, seeking firm establishment for the benefit of the worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Varddhanī
• Indra (Śakra)
• Dharma (as the best of dharma-bearers, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True religious aspiration seeks stability in dharma and aims at loka-hita (the welfare of all), not merely personal gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indrasthāna—presented as an ever-pleasant sacred locus within the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it is a prayer for su-sthiratva (steadfast establishment) for the world’s benefit.