Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मूढाय च विरक्ताय आत्मसंभाविताय च । आतुराय प्रमत्ताय कन्यादानं न कारयेत्

Transliteration

mūḍhāya ca viraktāya ātmasaṃbhāvitāya ca | āturāya pramattāya kanyādānaṃ na kārayet

Translation

„Man soll die Hingabe einer Tochter zur Ehe nicht für einen Toren vollziehen, nicht für einen Weltentsagten (ohne weltliche Verantwortung), nicht für einen Selbstgefälligen, nicht für einen Kranken und Bedrängten, und nicht für einen Leichtsinnigen und Unachtsamen.“

Word by Word

• mūḍhāya: to/for a foolish (man)
• mūḍhāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• viraktāya: to/for a detached (man)
• viraktāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ātma-saṃbhāvitāya: to/for one who esteems himself
• ātma-saṃbhāvitāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman + saṃbhāvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: 'ātmanā saṃbhāvita' = self-conceited/self-regarding

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• āturāya: to/for a sick/distressed (man)
• āturāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pramattāya: to/for a careless/intoxicated (man)
• pramattāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pramatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kanyā-dānam: giving of a maiden (kanyādāna)
• kanyā-dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'kanyāyāḥ dānam'

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• kārayet: should not arrange/perform (cause)
• kārayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) [णिच् causative: kāray-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): 'should cause to be done'

Speaker

Himavān (Himālaya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the narrative frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counsel-verse: Himālaya (or speaker) lists disqualifications for marriage—foolishness, detachment from responsibility, conceit, illness/affliction, recklessness—before sages.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Kanyā-dāna (marriage gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic household safeguards the daughter’s welfare by avoiding irresponsible, unstable, or ego-driven matches.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the teaching is embedded in the Kedārakhaṇḍa Himalayan narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction regarding kanyā-dāna: it should not be performed for certain unfit grooms (mūḍha, virakta, self-conceited, afflicted, reckless).