Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अवितेनैव कर्तव्यं कन्योद्वहनकं नृप । कन्यानाम समुच्चार्य न दोषाय कदाचन

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | avitenaiva kartavyaṃ kanyodvahanakaṃ nṛpa | kanyānāma samuccārya na doṣāya kadācana

Translation

Īśvara sprach: O König, die Vermählung der Jungfrau soll wahrlich auch ohne Reichtum vollzogen werden. Wird im Ritus der Name der Jungfrau ordnungsgemäß ausgesprochen, so ist es niemals ein Fehler, schlicht fortzuschreiten.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• अवितेन: without wealth/with no money
• अवितेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; ‘with lack of wealth/without wealth’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory) ‘to be done’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; impersonal obligation

• कन्योद्वहनकम्: the act of marrying off a daughter
• कन्योद्वहनकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्वहनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (कन्यायाः उद्वहनकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; subject complement to ‘कर्तव्यम्’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचनम्; vocative singular

• कन्यानाम: of maidens/of daughters
• कन्यानाम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; genitive plural

• नाम: names
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; accusative plural; object of ‘समुच्चार्य’

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-चर् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund) ‘having uttered/recited’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• दोषाय: for a fault/to blame
• दोषाय: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचनम्; dative singular (for fault/as a fault)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara, serene and authoritative, instructs the king: a simple marriage rite before the sacred fire, minimal offerings, yet luminous sanctity; the bride’s name is pronounced clearly as a pivotal ritual moment.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Uttānapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not dependent on riches; a sincere, properly performed rite can be valid even in poverty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a dharma ruling within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kanyodvāha (marriage rite) even without wealth; ensure proper ritual recitation such as pronouncing the maiden’s name.