Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततो दंडं प्रकुर्वीत सर्वैरेव द्विजोत्तमैः । भोजनं कन्यकादानमिति दाशरथेर्मतम्

Transliteration

tato daṃḍaṃ prakurvīta sarvaireva dvijottamaiḥ | bhojanaṃ kanyakādānamiti dāśarathermatam

Translation

Danach sollen alle Vornehmsten unter den Zweimalgeborenen die Strafe vorschriftsgemäß verhängen. Was das Spenden von Speise und das Geben einer Jungfrau zur Ehe betrifft — so lautet die Dāśarathi zugeschriebene Ansicht.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरार्थक (thereupon/then)

• daṃḍam: punishment, fine
• daṃḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• prakurvīta: should impose/perform
• prakurvīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘dvijottamaiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• dvijottamaiḥ: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijottamaiḥ: Karaṇa (Agent-group/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः) ‘उत्तमाः द्विजाः’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• bhojanam: feeding, meal (as penalty)
• bhojanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kanyakādānam: giving a maiden (in marriage)
• kanyakādānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘कन्यका-दान’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyasaṃjñā (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• dāśaratheḥ: of Dāśarathi (Rāma)
• dāśaratheḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāśarathi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• matam: opinion, view
• matam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (√man + क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial voice (contextual dharma-instruction; explicit speaker not stated in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal council of dvija-elders deliberates; a symbolic staff (daṇḍa) and scripture are present; the sanction is pronounced with solemnity, emphasizing collective authority.

Characters & Entities

• Dāśarathi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires both discernment and enforcement—penalties and social boundaries uphold righteousness in the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised directly in this verse; it continues the Dharmāraṇya legal-ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions community-imposed penalties and restrictions involving feeding and marriage alliance, framed as dharmic regulation.