Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वटिकोवाच । सुतं देहि सुरश्रेष्ठ मम वंशविवर्धनम् । चित्ताह्लादकरं नित्यं सुशीलं विनयान्वितम्

Transliteration

vaṭikovāca | sutaṃ dehi suraśreṣṭha mama vaṃśavivardhanam | cittāhlādakaraṃ nityaṃ suśīlaṃ vinayānvitam

Translation

വടികീ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! എന്റെ വംശം വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പുത്രനെ ദയവായി തരണമേ; നിത്യം ഹൃദയം ആനന്ദിപ്പിക്കുന്നവനും സുഷീലനും വിനയസമ്പന്നനും ആയിരിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• vaṭikā: Vaṭikā (name)
• vaṭikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्तृ-नाम (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sutam: a son
• sutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• suraśreṣṭha: O best of the gods
• suraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vaṃśa-vivardhanam: one who increases (my) lineage
• vaṃśa-vivardhanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaṃśa + vivardhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वंशस्य विवर्धनम्)

• citta-āhlāda-karam: delighting the mind
• citta-āhlāda-karam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta + āhlāda + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण; तत्पुरुष (चित्तस्य आह्लादं करोति)

• nityam: ever/always
• nityam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)

• suśīlam: of good conduct
• suśīlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण; कर्मधारय (सु-शीलः)

• vinaya-anvitam: endowed with humility/discipline
• vinaya-anvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (विनयेन अन्वितम्)

Speaker

Vaṭikī (as stated in the verse; likely the same woman earlier identified as Piṅgalā in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: मल्लिङ्ग-वापी / मल्लिङ्ग-तीर्थ (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Mahādeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman (Vaṭikī) stands with folded hands before Mahādeva near a stone-lined sacred tank; the atmosphere is intimate and prayerful, emphasizing humility and longing for a virtuous son.

Characters & Entities

• Vaṭikī
• Śiva (addressed as suraśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous desire focuses not merely on having a child, but on receiving virtuous progeny who sustains dharma and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha-name is stated in this verse; it occurs within the kṣetra-centered Śiva-boon episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a boon-request following tapas and Śiva worship.