Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सुलक्षणे प्रसन्नोस्मि वरं वरय सुव्रते । चिरं खिन्नासि तपसा कस्तेऽस्तीह मनोरथः

Transliteration

sulakṣaṇe prasannosmi varaṃ varaya suvrate | ciraṃ khinnāsi tapasā kaste'stīha manorathaḥ

Translation

“ഹേ സുലക്ഷണേ, ഞാൻ പ്രസന്നനാണ്. ഹേ സുവ്രതേ, വരം ചോദിക്കൂ. നീ ദീർഘകാലം തപസ്സാൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു—ഇവിടെ നിന്റെ മനോരഥം എന്ത്?”

Word by Word

• सुलक्षणे: O well-marked one (fair-featured lady)
• सुलक्षणे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु + लक्षण); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (अहम्) इति अध्याहारः

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन = Present, 1st person, Singular

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Accusative, Singular (object of ‘choose’)

• वरय: choose (ask for)
• वरय: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• सुव्रते: O woman of good vows
• सुव्रते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु + व्रत); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन = Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = for a long time

• खिन्ना: wearied/afflicted
• खिन्ना: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खिन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative, Singular; ‘त्वम्’ इति अध्याहारः

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन = Present, 2nd person, Singular

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कः: what/which
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Genitive, Singular

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन = Present, 3rd person, Singular

• इह: here/in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana (Place/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = indeclinable adverb; ‘here/in this matter’

• मनोरथः: wish/desire
• मनोरथः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva (Hara/Śarva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva praises the auspicious, vow-steadfast woman, acknowledging her long austerity and inviting her to choose a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Tapas
• Vara (boon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persevering tapas ripens into vara-prāpti (receiving a boon), showing the compassionate accessibility of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The boon-bestowing encounter is situated in Kāśī, near the Uttarārka sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse affirms sustained tapas and vrata (vowed discipline) as the means leading to divine boon.