Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

उवाच च विरूपाक्षः साक्षाद्दाक्षायणीपतिः । तपोनिधे प्रसन्नोस्मि वरं वरय भार्गव

Transliteration

uvāca ca virūpākṣaḥ sākṣāddākṣāyaṇīpatiḥ | taponidhe prasannosmi varaṃ varaya bhārgava

Translation

ତେବେ ବିରୂପାକ୍ଷ—ଦାକ୍ଷାୟଣୀ (ପାର୍ବତୀ)ଙ୍କ ପତି—କହିଲେ: “ହେ ତପୋନିଧି, ମୁଁ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ; ହେ ଭାର୍ଗବ, ଏକ ବର ଚୟନ କର।”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विरूपाक्षः: Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य = one whose eyes are unusual/terrible)

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थ: प्रत्यक्षम् (directly)

• दाक्षायणीपतिः: husband of Dākṣāyaṇī
• दाक्षायणीपतिः: Apposition (Same as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दाक्षायण्याः पतिः)

• तपोनिधे: O treasure of austerity
• तपोनिधे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसां निधिः)

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वरय: choose/request
• वरय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भार्गव: O Bhārgava
• भार्गव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Virūpākṣa, Dākṣāyaṇīpati)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (liṅga-sannidhi)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, three-eyed Virūpākṣa, stands revealed from the liṅga, calm yet radiant, addressing Bhārgava with an open palm of blessing, inviting him to choose a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Virūpākṣa
• Pārvatī (Dākṣāyaṇī)
• Bhārgava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas offered with sincerity ripens into Śiva’s direct grace, where the Lord Himself invites the devotee to ask for a boon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting frames the encounter, reinforcing Kāśī as a place where Śiva is readily pleased and grants boons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the verse presents the boon-granting moment (vara-pradāna) as the fruit of austerity.