Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वरं वृणीष्व भो वत्स यत्ते मनसि रोचते । ददामि ते न सन्देहस्तपसा तोषितो ह्यहम्

Transliteration

varaṃ vṛṇīṣva bho vatsa yatte manasi rocate | dadāmi te na sandehastapasā toṣito hyaham

Translation

“ഹേ വത്സാ, നിന്റെ മനസ്സിന് ഇഷ്ടമായ വരം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുക. നിന്റെ തപസ്സാൽ ഞാൻ തൃപ്തനാണ്; സംശയമില്ലാതെ ഞാൻ അത് നിനക്കു നൽകും.”

Word by Word

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• वृणीष्व: choose
• वृणीष्व: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; वृणीते)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• वत्स: O child/dear one
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object of rocate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• रोचते: pleases / seems good
• रोचते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: no/not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Kartṛ (Predicate nominal: “there is no doubt”)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• तोषितः: pleased/satisfied
• तोषितः: Kartṛ (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Kartṛ (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Mahādeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kundala (addressed as vatsa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears before the ascetic, compassionate yet majestic, offering a boon with raised hand in varada-mudrā; the ascetic stands humbled, hands folded.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere tapas (austerity and discipline) draws divine grace, and the Lord responds by granting what is truly desired.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Kundaleśvara-tīrtha narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the spiritual practice that pleases Śiva and becomes the cause of boon-bestowal.