Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्याद्वरो मे गृह्यतां द्विज । यदभीष्टं महाराज यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

na vṛthā darśanaṃ me syādvaro me gṛhyatāṃ dvija | yadabhīṣṭaṃ mahārāja yadyapi syātsudurlabham

Translation

എന്റെ ദർശനം വ്യർത്ഥമാകരുത്. ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, എന്നിൽ നിന്നൊരു വരം സ്വീകരിക്കൂ. ഹേ മഹാരാജാ, നിനക്കഭീഷ്ടമായത്—അതെത്ര ദുർലഭമായാലും—ഞാൻ നൽകും.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• दर्शनम्: the sight/meeting
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• मे: of me/my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मे: my/for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• गृह्यताम्: let (it) be accepted
• गृह्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/आज्ञार्थे—‘let it be accepted’

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• अभीष्टम्: desired
• अभीष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying यत्)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् राजा); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• यद्यपि: even if
• यद्यपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वय-अव्यय-योगः (concessive: ‘even if’)

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying यत्/अभीष्टम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṇḍāraka Tīrtha (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a brāhmaṇa (dvija) and addressed ‘mahārāja’ within the scene

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine figure addresses a brāhmaṇa/kingly devotee, offering a boon so the epiphany is not ‘in vain’; the devotee stands with folded hands in a tīrtha landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (implied)
• Dvija (addressed recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana is portrayed as purposeful and grace-filled: sincere devotion draws the Lord’s boon-bestowing compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The boon occurs in the Arbuda mountain setting within the Piṇḍāraka-related māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse presents the fruit (phala) of devotion and prior discipline—Śiva’s granting of a boon.