Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रार्थयस्व मनोऽभीष्टं वरं ब्राह्मणसत्तम । न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्यात्कथंचिदपि देहिनाम्

Transliteration

prārthayasva mano'bhīṣṭaṃ varaṃ brāhmaṇasattama | na vṛthā darśanaṃ me syātkathaṃcidapi dehinām

Translation

“اے برہمنوں کے افضل! اپنے دل کی مراد کے مطابق ور مانگو۔ کسی بھی حال میں جسم رکھنے والوں کے لیے میرا دیدار بے ثمر نہ رہے۔”

Word by Word

• prārthayasva: request (for yourself)
• prārthayasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-arth (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• manaḥ: of the mind
• manaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• abhīṣṭam: desired
• abhīṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇasattama: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇasattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः: ब्राह्मण-सत्तम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (in vain)

• darśanam: the sight/meeting
• darśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• syāt: may be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kathaṃcit: somehow
• kathaṃcit: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcit (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनिश्चितता-वाचक-अव्यय (somehow/in any way)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (even/also)

• dehinām: of embodied beings
• dehinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A divine encounter (darśana) should culminate in meaningful spiritual benefit, guided by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named in this verse; it functions as a narrative hinge within the tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an invitation to request a boon.