Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

नीत्वा दुर्गतमैकांतेऽकार्षमौद्वाहिकं विधिम् । गांधर्वेण विवाहेन ततोऽकार्षं हृदीप्सितम्

Transliteration

nītvā durgatamaikāṃte'kārṣamaudvāhikaṃ vidhim | gāṃdharveṇa vivāhena tato'kārṣaṃ hṛdīpsitam

Translation

Ich brachte sie an einen abgelegenen Ort und vollzog das Hochzeitsritual; durch eine Gandharva-Ehe erfüllte ich mir dann meinen Herzenswunsch.

Word by Word

• नीत्वा: having led
• नीत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु-नी, अर्थः—‘नीत्वा’ = having led

• दुर्गतम्: to a difficult/remote place; distressed
• दुर्गतम्: Karma (Object complement to implied person)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गत (प्रातिपदिक; दुर्गम्+गत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• एकान्ते: in solitude, in a secluded place
• एकान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• अकार्षम्: I performed / I did
• अकार्षम्: Karta (Speaker as agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु-कृष् ‘to do/perform/draw’

• औद्वाहिकम्: pertaining to marriage
• औद्वाहिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of विधिम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औद्वाहिक (प्रातिपदिक; उद्वाह-सम्बन्धिन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विधिम्: rite, procedure
• विधिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• गान्धर्वेण: by the gāndharva (type)
• गान्धर्वेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; करणम्

• विवाहेन: by marriage
• विवाहेन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; करणम्

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha/Sequence marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—सम्बन्ध/क्रमसूचक (then/from there)

• अकार्षम्: I did / I brought about
• अकार्षम्: Karta (Speaker as agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हृदि: in (my) heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• ईप्सितम्: desired, wished-for
• ईप्सितम्: Karma (Object complement; ‘desired thing’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; √आप्/ईप्स् ‘to desire’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (object-complement)

Speaker

Narrator (first-person within the story; embedded narration inside the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man leads a young woman into a secluded grove or inner chamber; ritual gestures are performed hastily, with an atmosphere of secrecy and impending moral rupture.

Characters & Entities

• Gāndharva-vivāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a form of marriage is named, dharma depends on consent, protection, and righteousness—not merely on technical labels.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions the ‘audvāhika vidhि’ (marriage procedure) and specifies the Gāndharva form of marriage.