Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वज्रांग उवाच । आसुरो मेऽस्तु मा भावः शक्रराज्ये च मा रतिः । तपोधर्मरतिश्चास्तु वृणोम्येतत्पितामह

Transliteration

vajrāṃga uvāca | āsuro me'stu mā bhāvaḥ śakrarājye ca mā ratiḥ | tapodharmaratiścāstu vṛṇomyetatpitāmaha

Translation

วัชรางคะกล่าวว่า “ขออย่าให้มีอุปนิสัยอสูรในข้าพเจ้า และขออย่าให้ข้าพเจ้าหลงใหลในราชสมบัติของศักระ ขอให้ความยินดีของข้าพเจ้าอยู่ในตบะและธรรม—ข้าพเจ้าขอเลือกเช่นนี้ โอ ปิตามหะ”

Word by Word

• वज्राङ्गः: Vajrāṅga
• वज्राङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्राङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः वज्र + अङ्ग

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आसुरः: demonic, asuric
• आसुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (मे = मम)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: not, may not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• भावः: nature, disposition
• भावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शक्रराज्ये: in Indra's kingdom
• शक्रराज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः शक्रस्य राज्यं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• मा: not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• रतिः: delight, attachment
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपोधर्मरतिः: delight in austerity and dharma
• तपोधर्मरतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + धर्म + रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तपसि धर्मे च रतिः (समाहार/बहु-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वृणोमि: I choose
• वृणोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वृञ् वरणे धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पितामह: O Grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vajrāṅga

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vajrāṅga, hands folded, speaks with serene firmness to Brahmā: he refuses Indra’s throne and asks for delight in tapas and dharma; Brahmā listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Vajrāṅga
• Śakra (Indra)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest ‘boon’ is inner transformation—renouncing violent ambition and choosing tapas and dharma over political power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised; the verse is a moral declaration about right desire and disciplined living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general commitment to tapas (austerity) and dharma is stated, without naming a specific vrata procedure.