Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रार्थयस्व मनोऽभीष्टं वरं ब्राह्मणसत्तम । न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्यात्कथंचिदपि देहिनाम्

Transliteration

prārthayasva mano'bhīṣṭaṃ varaṃ brāhmaṇasattama | na vṛthā darśanaṃ me syātkathaṃcidapi dehinām

Translation

Demande la grâce que ton cœur désire, ô meilleur des brāhmaṇas. Que mon apparition ne soit en aucune circonstance vaine pour les êtres incarnés.

Word by Word

• prārthayasva: request (for yourself)
• prārthayasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-arth (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• manaḥ: of the mind
• manaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• abhīṣṭam: desired
• abhīṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• brāhmaṇasattama: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇasattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः: ब्राह्मण-सत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (in vain)

• darśanam: the sight/meeting
• darśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• syāt: may be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kathaṃcit: somehow
• kathaṃcit: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcit (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनिश्चितता-वाचक-अव्यय (somehow/in any way)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (even/also)

• dehinām: of embodied beings
• dehinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja softens, offering a boon; the brāhmaṇa’s posture shifts from despair to hopeful reverence, hands joined, eyes uplifted.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A divine encounter (darśana) should culminate in meaningful spiritual benefit, guided by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named in this verse; it functions as a narrative hinge within the tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an invitation to request a boon.