Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

वरयोग्यास्मि चेन्नाथ नान्यं वरमहं वृणे । महेशसदृशं पुत्रं देहि माहेश्वरानव

Transliteration

varayogyāsmi cennātha nānyaṃ varamahaṃ vṛṇe | maheśasadṛśaṃ putraṃ dehi māheśvarānava

Translation

Bạch Nātha, nếu thiếp xứng đáng nhận ân ban, thiếp không chọn ân ban nào khác. Xin ban cho thiếp một người con trai như Maheśa—một mầm non mới của dòng Māheśvara (Śaiva).

Word by Word

• वरयोग्या: fit to receive a boon
• वरयोग्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular); समासः—वरस्य योग्या (fit for a boon)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 1st person singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

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

• वृणे: choose / request
• वृणे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (present indicative, 1st person singular)

• महेशसदृशम्: like Maheśa
• महेशसदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); समासः—महेशस्य सदृशः (like Maheśa)

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• देहि: give (grant)
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd person singular)

• माहेश्वर: O Māheśvara (devotee/servant of Maheśa)
• माहेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• अनव: O blameless one
• अनव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative singular; rare address-word)

Speaker

Wife of Viśvānara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The wife, resolute, asks for a son like Maheśa—an image of Śiva’s qualities manifesting in human form; the moment is charged with devotional aspiration and heroic resolve for a dharmic lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa
• Māheśvara (Śaiva lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest desires are aligned with divinity—seeking progeny not merely for lineage, but for dharmic, Śiva-like qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Śaiva sphere of Kāśī in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa; the verse itself glorifies Maheśa rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is a putra-related boon request rooted in Śaiva devotion.