Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

भगवानुवाच । न मे स्याद्दर्शनं व्यर्थं कथंचित्सुतपस्विनि । तस्माद्वरय भद्रं ते वरं येन ददाम्यहम्

Transliteration

bhagavānuvāca | na me syāddarśanaṃ vyarthaṃ kathaṃcitsutapasvini | tasmādvaraya bhadraṃ te varaṃ yena dadāmyaham

Translation

พระผู้เป็นเจ้าตรัสว่า “โอ้ผู้บำเพ็ญตบะผู้ประเสริฐ การที่เราปรากฏแก่เจ้าย่อมไม่เป็นหมันเลย ดังนั้นจงเลือกพรเถิด—ขอความสวัสดีจงมีแก่เจ้า—เพื่อเราจะประทานให้”

Word by Word

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

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

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (संभावना/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दर्शनम्: vision; appearance
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• व्यर्थम्: in vain; fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Pradhana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/विधेय), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दर्शनम्)

• कथंचित्: in any way
• कथंचित्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक (in any way; somehow)

• सुतपस्विनि: O very austere lady
• सुतपस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-तपस्विनी = very austere woman)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (therefore/from that reason)

• वरय: choose
• वरय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थक), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (वृणु/वरय—आदेशरूप)

• भद्रम्: good fortune
• भद्रम्: Sambandha (Benediction/आशीः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; आशीर्वचन-प्रयोगः (benedictive: good fortune)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन; आशीर्वचन-सम्बन्धे (to you)

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

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; हेतौ/साधने (by which)

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks firmly yet kindly, indicating his appearance must bear fruit; he gestures toward the devotee as if inviting her to state a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace is purposeful: when the Lord grants darśana, it is meant to uplift the devotee through a dharmic boon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name the tīrtha; it continues a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal boon-selection (vara-vāraṇa/vara-yācñā) is invited by Śiva; no separate rite is prescribed.