Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78
देवोऽप्युदाहरेद्वुद्धिं सर्वेभ्योऽप्यधिकां वराम् । ततः शैलस्तथा चोक्त्वा दत्त्वा देवीं च सोदकम्
devo'pyudāharedvuddhiṃ sarvebhyo'pyadhikāṃ varām | tataḥ śailastathā coktvā dattvā devīṃ ca sodakam
Der Gott (Viṣṇu) verkündete zudem einen vortrefflichen Rat, allen anderen überlegen. Daraufhin gab der Berg (Himālaya), nachdem er entsprechend gesprochen hatte, die Göttin samt dem Ritualwasser (sodaka) hin.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating
Scene: Viṣṇu pronounces an exalted counsel; Himavat, solemn and regal, prepares the formal gifting of the Goddess with a water-vessel, signaling the wedding’s dharmic completion.
FAQs
Dharma is upheld through correct counsel and correctly performed rites, symbolized by the water-offering in giving the bride.
No specific tīrtha is named; the setting evokes the Himalayan divine milieu of the narrative.
The giving of the bride “with water” (sodaka) indicates the formal, dharmic handover (udaka-dāna) in marriage.