Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । जानीष्व गोपकन्यां मां क्रीडामि सखिभिः सह । अस्मत्कुलेषु यद्दिव्यं तत्कुरुष्व यथाविधि

Transliteration

kanyovāca | jānīṣva gopakanyāṃ māṃ krīḍāmi sakhibhiḥ saha | asmatkuleṣu yaddivyaṃ tatkuruṣva yathāvidhi

Translation

Das Mädchen sprach: „Wisse, ich bin ein Hirtenmädchen und spiele mit meinen Freundinnen. Welcher heilige Brauch in unseren Familien geboten ist, den vollziehe in rechter Weise.“

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• जानीष्व: know (you)
• जानीष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• गोपकन्याम्: a cowherd-girl
• गोपकन्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्रीडामि: I play
• क्रीडामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सखिभिः: with friends
• सखिभिः: Sahakaraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (prepositional adverb: 'with')

• अस्मत्कुलेषु: in our families/clans
• अस्मत्कुलेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine, extraordinary
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरुष्व: do, perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'as')

• विधि: rule, prescribed manner
• विधि: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd) (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः: यथाविधि = 'according to rule')

Speaker

Kanyā (gopa-kanyā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden in gopī attire, surrounded by friends in playful posture, speaks with composed authority, instructing that the family’s sacred custom be followed properly.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through right procedure (yathāvidhi) and honorable family custom (kulācāra), not through force or haste.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse sits within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred narrative corpus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: perform the sacred family-ordained rite properly (yathāvidhi), implying formal marriage procedures.