Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच परितुष्टोऽस्मि मत्तः प्रार्थय वांछितम् । अहं ते संप्रदास्यामि दुर्लभं त्रिदशैरपि

Transliteration

provāca parituṣṭo'smi mattaḥ prārthaya vāṃchitam | ahaṃ te saṃpradāsyāmi durlabhaṃ tridaśairapi

Translation

ଶିବ କହିଲେ—“ମୁଁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ। ମୋ ପାଖରୁ ଯାହା ଇଚ୍ଛା, ସେହି ବର ମାଗ; ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯାହା ଦୁର୍ଲଭ, ତାହା ମୁଁ ତୁମକୁ ଦେବି।”

Word by Word

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘प्रोवाच’ (he said)

• parituṣṭaḥ: fully pleased
• parituṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√tuṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘परितुष्टः’ (fully pleased)

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘अस्मि’ (I am)

• mattaḥ: from me
• mattaḥ: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — ‘मत्तः’ (from me)

• prārthaya: ask
• prārthaya: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√arth (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘प्रार्थय’ (ask/request)

• vāṃchitam: the desired (boon/thing)
• vāṃchitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṃchita (प्रातिपदिक; √vāñch + kta)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘वाञ्छितम्’ (desired thing)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘अहम्’ (I)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — ‘ते’ (to you/for you)

• saṃpradāsyāmi: I will grant
• saṃpradāsyāmi: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘संप्रदास्यामि’ (I shall bestow)

• durlabham: rare, hard to obtain
• durlabham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘दुर्लभम्’ (hard to obtain)

• tridaśaiḥ: by the gods
• tridaśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — ‘त्रिदशैः’ (by the gods)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘अपि’ (even/also)

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, compassionate yet majestic, speaks directly to the tapasvin: ‘Ask what you desire’; the devotee listens with folded hands, the atmosphere charged with sanctity and promise.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• tridaśa (the gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s grace surpasses worldly hierarchy—devotion can obtain what even celestial beings find rare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The boon-offering is framed within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative of this Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse underscores the result of completed tapas: receiving īśvara-prasāda and the right to request a boon.