Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18
यथाभिलषितं रूपं यथाभिलषितं सुखम् । यथाभिलषितं चायुः प्रसन्नो देहि मे भव
yathābhilaṣitaṃ rūpaṃ yathābhilaṣitaṃ sukham | yathābhilaṣitaṃ cāyuḥ prasanno dehi me bhava
Accorde-moi, dans Ta grâce, la forme que je désire, le bonheur que je désire et la durée de vie que je désire.
Pulomā’s daughter (Paulomī)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sages/devotees
Scene: A devotee petitions Śiva for desired form, happiness, and lifespan; the deity’s compassionate ‘prasanna’ aspect is emphasized, with offerings at a liṅga in a Kāśī shrine.
FAQs
Even worldly aims (rūpa, sukha, āyuḥ) are sought through devotion and divine grace rather than mere self-effort.
Kāśī is the implied sacred field where such prayers and vratas are taught to bear fruit.
The verse is a direct petition to Śiva; the formal prescription is introduced later as a vrata (vow-observance).