Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अतीते तु ततः काले परितुष्टो महेश्वरः । वरं ब्रूहि महाव्याध यत्ते मनसि रोचते

Transliteration

atīte tu tataḥ kāle parituṣṭo maheśvaraḥ | varaṃ brūhi mahāvyādha yatte manasi rocate

Translation

ఆ కాలం గడిచిన తరువాత మహేశ్వరుడు సంతుష్టుడై పలికెను— “ఓ మహావ్యాధా! నీ మనసుకు నచ్చిన వరాన్ని చెప్పు.”

Word by Word

• अतीते: when (it was) past
• अतीते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/temporal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति+इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle) from अति+इ/अतिगत, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; काले इति सापेक्षम्

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अपादानार्थक/क्रमसूचक

• काले: in time/at the time
• काले: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• परितुष्टः: fully pleased
• परितुष्टः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि+तुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle) used adjectivally, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः (महान् ईश्वरः)

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

• ब्रूहि: say/tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाव्याध: O great hunter
• महाव्याध: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः (महान् व्याधः)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object of rocate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikaraṇa (Location: in mind)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• रोचते: pleases/appears desirable
• रोचते: Kriyā (Verb of liking)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva), as quoted by Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha associated with Śiva’s vara-pradāna to the vyādha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After long austerity, Maheśvara appears before the hunter-ascetic, serene and pleased, inviting him to ask for a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Mahāvyādha (great hunter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace responds to sustained tapas; Śiva rewards sincere transformation with boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Tāpeśvara sacred context continues, framing the site as a place where tapas bears direct fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse culminates the tapas narrative with Śiva’s offer of a boon.