Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अथोवाच महादेवः सर्वांस्तांस्त्रिदशालयान् । वृणुध्वं सुवरं सर्वे मत्तो यन्मनसीप्सितम्

Transliteration

athovāca mahādevaḥ sarvāṃstāṃstridaśālayān | vṛṇudhvaṃ suvaraṃ sarve matto yanmanasīpsitam

Translation

แล้วมหาเทวะตรัสแก่เหล่าผู้อาศัยในหมู่ตรีทศะทั้งปวงว่า “พวกท่านทั้งหลายจงเลือกพรอันประเสริฐจากเรา—สิ่งใดที่ดวงใจปรารถนา”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriya-visheshana (Discourse particle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनुक्रमसूचक (then/now)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रिदशालयान्: the abodes of the gods
• त्रिदशालयान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (त्रिदशानाम् आलयाः)

• वृणुध्वम्: choose
• वृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुवरम्: a fine boon
• सुवरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुन्दरः वरः)

• सर्वे: all (of you)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मत्तः: from me
• मत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ईप्सितम्: desired
• ईप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्/ईप्स् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (desired), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (यत्-शब्दस्य)

Speaker

Mahādeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva addresses the assembled devas; a formal divine court scene with Śiva as the calm center, devas attentive, the atmosphere luminous after portents cease.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Tridaśas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion culminates in grace: Śiva responds to sincere worship with boon-giving compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa frames the boon as part of the region’s sacred mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; Śiva invites the gods to request a boon as the फल of worship.