Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

एवं विचार्य बहुधा वर्द्धनी नाम भारत । सर्वासामप्सरसां श्रेष्ठा सर्वाभरणभूषिता

Transliteration

evaṃ vicārya bahudhā varddhanī nāma bhārata | sarvāsāmapsarasāṃ śreṣṭhā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā

Translation

Sau khi bàn xét nhiều bề, hỡi Bhārata, họ chọn người tên Varddhanī—bậc tối thắng trong mọi Apsarā, được trang sức bằng đủ mọi bảo sức.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• विचार्य: having deliberated
• विचार्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; धातु: चर् (to move/consider) उपसर्ग: वि- (to deliberate)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in many ways)

• वर्द्धनी: Varddhanī (name of an apsaras)
• वर्द्धनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्द्धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक अव्यय (particle: by name)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वासाम्: of all
• सर्वासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अप्सरसाम्: of the apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठा: the best; foremost
• श्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• सर्वाभरणभूषिता: adorned with all ornaments
• सर्वाभरणभूषिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-आभरण-भूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) from √भूष् (to adorn) with उपसर्ग: भूषित; समासः: सर्व + आभरण (all ornaments)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta-style narration within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varddhanī is singled out from among the apsarases—she stands centered, richly adorned, while others form a respectful semicircle, indicating her preeminence and selection.

Characters & Entities

• Varddhanī
• Bhārata (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes fitness for duty: the ‘best-suited’ agent is chosen to serve a larger righteous objective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues within the Dharmāraṇya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the choosing of Varddhanī.