Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

या त्वं मदशयं ज्ञात्वा प्राप्तेह वरवर्णिनि । त्वया विरहितः शून्यं मन्योस्मिन्भुवनत्रये

Transliteration

yā tvaṃ madaśayaṃ jñātvā prāpteha varavarṇini | tvayā virahitaḥ śūnyaṃ manyosminbhuvanatraye

Translation

హే వరవర్ణినీ! నీవు నా హృదయాశయాన్ని గ్రహించి ఇక్కడికి వచ్చావు. నీవు లేకపోతే ఈ సమస్త త్రిభువనమూ నాకు శూన్యమే అనిపిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्-प्रयोग (relative pronoun)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mat-āśayam: my intention/inner thought
• mat-āśayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mat (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + āśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्-आशयः = मम आशयः)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• prāptā: having arrived / arrived
• prāptā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• vara-varṇini: O fair/beautiful one
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठा वर्णिनी)

• tvayā: by you / because of you
• tvayā: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• virahitaḥ: separated (from)
• virahitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śūnyam: empty
• śūnyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपूरक/विशेषण (predicate complement)

• manye: I think/consider
• manye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; निर्देश (locative)

• bhuvana-traye: in the three worlds
• bhuvana-traye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि भुवनानि)

Speaker

Asura in Umā-form (addressing Śiva, within the narrative; deduced from immediate context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara addresses a fair-complexioned lady with tender intensity, declaring the three worlds empty without her; the moment is intimate, foregrounding eyes, gesture, and the charged stillness of reunion.

Characters & Entities

• Triple world (bhuvanatraya)
• Varavarṇinī (address to Umā-form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly speech can imitate devotion and intimacy; dharma requires testing sincerity, not merely listening to pleasing words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse focuses on a dramatic exchange.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.