Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तवाग्रे वपनं देव कारयन्ति नरा भुवि । स्वामिंस्तेषां वरो देय एष मे परमो वरः

Transliteration

tavāgre vapanaṃ deva kārayanti narā bhuvi | svāmiṃsteṣāṃ varo deya eṣa me paramo varaḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่เทพเจ้า มนุษย์บนแผ่นดินผู้ให้ทำพิธีโกนศีรษะต่อหน้าพระองค์ ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นนาย ขอให้ประทานพรแก่เขาเถิด นี่คือพรสูงสุดของข้า

Word by Word

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• वपनम्: shaving (tonsure)
• वपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• कारयन्ति: cause to be done / have done
• कारयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्वामिन्: O lord
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देयः: to be given / should be granted
• देयः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वरः)

• वरः: boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra) in the surrounding narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim sits near a shrine by the river; a barber performs tonsure while the pilgrim holds a water-pot and flowers; the deity’s image is visible, and attendants prepare offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee’s greatest wish is the welfare of other pilgrims—seeking blessings for those who perform humble rites in the Lord’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite is implied to be performed at the Lord’s shrine established on the Narmadā’s bank in the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vapana (tonsure/shaving) performed before the deity as a pilgrimage rite, with a prayer that such performers receive divine boons.