Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अस्माकं कन्यकादाने शुल्कमस्ति द्विजोत्तम । तच्चेद्यच्छसि कन्यां तां तुभ्यं दास्याम्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

asmākaṃ kanyakādāne śulkamasti dvijottama | taccedyacchasi kanyāṃ tāṃ tubhyaṃ dāsyāmyasaṃśayam

Translation

«يا أفضلَ المولودين مرّتَين، إنّ لتزويج ابنتنا صداقًا. فإن أتيتَ به سلّمتُ إليك الفتاةَ لا ريب.»

Word by Word

• अस्माकम्: of us / our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• कन्यका-दाने: in the giving of a maiden (kanyādāna)
• कन्यका-दाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यकायाः दाने)

• शुल्कम्: a fee / bride-price
• शुल्कम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्ति: is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (द्विजः उत्तमः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• यच्छसि: you give
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कन्याम्: the maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताम्: her / that (maiden)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial indeclinable; accusative used adverbially)

Speaker

Gādhi

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛcīka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: the king states the condition for giving his daughter—bride-price required—while the sage listens with composed resolve; attendants and the maiden’s household stand behind a veil of decorum.

Characters & Entities

• Gādhi
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When duty is approached with bargaining and pretexts, dharma becomes compromised—Purāṇic stories expose the inner motives behind outward conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya chapter but does not itself name the tīrtha; it advances the narrative that accompanies sacred-place praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A conditional requirement of śulka (bride-price) for kanyādāna is stated as part of the marriage arrangement.