Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अनूढा हि पितुः कन्या सर्वदा शोकमावहेत् । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा स्वनये नारदोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

anūḍhā hi pituḥ kanyā sarvadā śokamāvahet | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā svanaye nārado'bravīt

Translation

„Wahrlich, eine unverheiratete Tochter bringt dem Vater stets Kummer.“ Als er diese Worte vernommen hatte, erwiderte Nārada nach eigenem Urteil.

Word by Word

• अनूढा: unmarried
• अनूढा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of kanyā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्-ऊढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वह्/ऊह्? → ऊढ = married/carried)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक-भूतकृदन्त (not married)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कन्या: daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शोकम्: sorrow
• शोकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आवहेत्: would bring/cause
• आवहेत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākya-parisamāpti (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक-अव्यय (quotative)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: Karma (Object of śrutvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: श्रु, अर्थ: श्रवणं कृत्वा (having heard)

• स्वनये: according to his own judgment
• स्वनये: Sampradāna (Dative purpose/according to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य नयः = own view/plan)

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Nārada’s response; Nārada is about to speak)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the king’s lament, the camera shifts to Nārada beginning his reply—hand raised in teaching gesture (vyākhyāna-mudrā), face compassionate; the king listens with hope.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• king (as Nārada’s son, per text)
• daughter

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder dharma includes timely responsibility for dependents; the text frames marriage as a social-duty concern that prompts seeking wise guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāmeśvaram context), but this verse itself is ethical narration rather than tīrtha-phala description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it transitions into Nārada’s advisory discourse.