Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एवं वृद्धत्वमापन्ना यदा ते वरवर्णिनि । छन्द्यमाना वरैस्ते तु शंकरेण महात्मना

Transliteration

evaṃ vṛddhatvamāpannā yadā te varavarṇini | chandyamānā varaiste tu śaṃkareṇa mahātmanā

Translation

ഹേ വരവർണിനി! അവർ ഇങ്ങനെ വാർദ്ധക്യത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ചപ്പോൾ, മഹാത്മാവായ ശങ്കരൻ വരങ്ങൾ നൽകാൻ സന്നദ്ധനായി, ഇഷ്ടമുള്ള വരം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുവാൻ ക്ഷണിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• वृद्धत्वम्: old age
• वृद्धत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• आपन्नाः: having attained
• आपन्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-आपद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past participle used predicatively (having reached/attained)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'they'

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair one
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: वरः वर्णः यस्याः (O fair-complexioned one)

• छन्द्यमानाः: being pleased
• छन्द्यमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छन्द् (धातु) → छन्द्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: 'being pleased/being gratified'

• वरैः: by boons
• वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'they' (reiterated)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• शंकरेण: by Śaṅkara
• शंकरेण: Karana/Agent (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying Śaṅkara)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (addressed lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aged sages, hair silver and matted, stand or sit with folded hands; before them appears Śaṅkara—calm, ash-smeared, crescent moon, gaṅgā in hair, trident—gesturing in boon-bestowal, inviting them to choose; the atmosphere is tender and solemn.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace responds to steadfastness: Śiva personally offers boons to those who endure and remain devoted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically the tradition that leads into the Vṛddhaprabhāsa (Old Prabhāsa) tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse sets up the boon-request that culminates in liṅga-darśana.