Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । तुष्टोऽहं भवतो धर्म स्तोत्रेणानेन सुव्रत । वरं वरय धर्मज्ञ यस्ते स्यान्मनसः प्रियः

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | tuṣṭo'haṃ bhavato dharma stotreṇānena suvrata | varaṃ varaya dharmajña yaste syānmanasaḥ priyaḥ

Translation

ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ ധർമ്മാ, ഹേ സുവ്രതാ! ഈ സ്തോത്രംകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ നിന്നിൽ പ്രസന്നനാണ്. ഹേ ധർമ്മജ്ഞാ! നിന്റെ മനസ്സിന് പ്രിയമായ വരം ചോദിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• śrībhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• śrībhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पूर्वक नाम (honorific epithet)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhavataḥ: of you
• bhavataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-आदर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• dharma: O Dharma
• dharma: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• stotreṇa: by (this) hymn
• stotreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• anena: by this
• anena: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (stotreṇa)

• suvrata: O one of good vows
• suvrata: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन, एकवचन

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• varaya: choose
• varaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• dharmajña: O knower of dharma
• dharmajña: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-jña (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन, एकवचन

• yaḥ: which (boon)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• te: to you / of you
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन (enclitic form)

• syāt: may be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• manasaḥ: of (your) mind
• manasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• priyaḥ: dear
• priyaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (yaḥ)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhagavān addresses Dharma directly, expressing satisfaction with the hymn and inviting him to choose a boon; Dharma stands humbly, poised to request.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Bhagavān
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere praise grounded in dharma pleases the Lord and ripens into divine grace (vara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the broader sacred setting of the Ayodhyā Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on the Lord’s boon to Dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice implied is stotra-stuti (devotional hymn/praise) as an efficacious spiritual act.