Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

वरं वरय विप्रेन्द्र वरदोऽहं तवाग्रतः । नाऽतप्ततपसा द्रष्टुं शक्यः केनाप्यहं द्विज

Transliteration

varaṃ varaya viprendra varado'haṃ tavāgrataḥ | nā'taptatapasā draṣṭuṃ śakyaḥ kenāpyahaṃ dvija

Translation

至福なる主は仰せになった。「婆羅門の中の最勝者よ、願いを選べ。われは汝の前に、願いを授ける者として立つ。苦行なくしては、二度生まれし者よ、誰もわれを見ることはできぬ。」

Word by Word

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• varaya: choose (ask for)
• varaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √vṛ (वृ) ‘to choose’

• vipra-indra: O best of Brahmins
• vipra-indra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः” (chief of Brahmins)

• vara-daḥ: boon-giving
• vara-daḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + da (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—“वरं ददाति” (giver of boons)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tava: your/of you
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• agrataḥ: in front (of you)
• agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘in front’)

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

• atapta-tapasā: without (having performed) austerity
• atapta-tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-tapta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √tap) + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“अतप्तं तपः” (austerity not performed); नकारेण सह निषेधार्थः—‘without unperformed austerity’ → ‘without having done austerity’

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to see’

• śakyaḥ: possible
• śakyaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śak)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शक्य-प्रत्यय (potential/passive adjective)

• kena: by whom/by anyone
• kena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• api: even/any
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also/any)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dvija: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• dvija: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord appears before a brahmin, offering a boon, while emphasizing that such vision is not granted without austerity; the setting suggests a sanctified grove/riverbank of Ayodhyā.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇuśarmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine vision is not accidental; it is cultivated through tapas, discipline, and sustained devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered within Ayodhyāmāhātmya, aligning Ayodhyā with the ideals of tapas and divine encounter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is emphasized as the enabling practice for darśana; the verse also introduces the boon-granting moment (vara-pradāna).