Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

किं देवी प्राप्तुकामासि किमलभ्यं ददामि ते । तच्छ्रुत्वोवाच गिरिजा गुरुगौरवगर्भितम्

Transliteration

kiṃ devī prāptukāmāsi kimalabhyaṃ dadāmi te | tacchrutvovāca girijā gurugauravagarbhitam

Translation

“ദേവീ, നീ എന്താണ് നേടാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നത്? ഏതാണ് അപ്രാപ്യം? ഞാൻ അത് നിനക്കു നൽകാം.” ഇതുകേട്ട് ഗിരിജ ഗുരുത്വവും ഗൗരവവും നിറഞ്ഞ വാക്കുകളാൽ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• देवी: O goddess
• देवी: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• प्राप्तुकामा: desiring to obtain
• प्राप्तुकामा: Karta (Predicate adjective to implied ‘त्वम्’/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; प्र + आप् धातु) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—प्राप्तुं कामा (desiring to obtain)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta (Subject of ‘अलभ्यम्’ as predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अलभ्यम्: unattainable
• अलभ्यम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलभ्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; लभ् धातु, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अलभ्य’ = अप्राप्य (unattainable)

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (enclitic ‘te’): तुभ्यम्/तव; अत्र ददामि इत्यनेन चतुर्थी (dative singular) अधिकयुक्ता

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ = तत् वचनम्/तत् (that)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया—श्रुत्वा (having heard)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गिरिजा: Girijā
• गिरिजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—गिरेः जा (mountain-born)

• गुरुगौरवगर्भितम्: filled with grave dignity
• गुरुगौरवगर्भितम्: Karma (Object complement: ‘(वचनम्) गुरुगौरवगर्भितम्’/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गर्भ्/गृह् भावे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—गुरोः गौरवं येन गर्भितम् (filled with heavy dignity)

Speaker

Brahmā (first two pādas); Girijā/Pārvatī (reply begins; as indicated)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, composed and benevolent, offers any boon; Girijā answers with grave, guru-like dignity—her words heavy with meaning, her posture steady, eyes unwavering.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Girijā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine governance often restores order through dialogue and boons; dignified speech (gourava) is itself a form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a boon-offer and the beginning of Girijā’s response.