Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तददत्ता कथं स्वैरमहमन्यं वरं वृणे । वृतोपि न कुलीनश्चेद्गुणवान्न च शीलवान्

Transliteration

tadadattā kathaṃ svairamahamanyaṃ varaṃ vṛṇe | vṛtopi na kulīnaścedguṇavānna ca śīlavān

Translation

„Da ich noch nicht (zur Ehe) gegeben wurde, wie könnte ich aus eigenem Belieben frei einen anderen Gatten wählen? Und selbst wenn gewählt—was nützt er, wenn er nicht aus edlem Geschlecht ist, weder tugendhaft noch von guter Lebensführung?“

Word by Word

• tad-adattā: not given (by them)
• tad-adattā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक) + a-datta (√dā दा धातु + क्त, नञ्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular); तत्पुरुषः (tad = by them/that; adattā = not given)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• svairam: freely/of my own will
• svairam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: of one’s own will)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nom., Singular)

• anyam: another
• anyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Acc., Singular)

• varam: groom/suitor
• varam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Acc., Singular)

• vṛṇe: I choose
• vṛṇe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 1st sg., Ātmanepada)

• vṛtaḥ: (even if) chosen
• vṛtaḥ: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle: chosen); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• api: even if
• api: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• kulīnaḥ: of noble family
• kulīnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kulīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• guṇavān: virtuous/possessing qualities
• guṇavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śīlavān: of good conduct
• śīlavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīlavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman weighs choices with a thoughtful, restrained expression; in the background, silhouettes of potential suitors appear as faint figures, while she focuses on a symbolic scale balancing ‘kula’, ‘guṇa’, and ‘śīla’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as ordered and value-based: lineage, virtues, and conduct matter, and impulsive choice is cautioned against.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s moral-narrative teaching within Kāśī’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it discusses marital propriety and ethical qualifications.