Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्माद्देहि ममात्मानं गांधर्वेण सुशोभने । विवाहेन यतोऽन्येषां स प्रधानः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

tasmāddehi mamātmānaṃ gāṃdharveṇa suśobhane | vivāhena yato'nyeṣāṃ sa pradhānaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

Darum, o strahlende Schöne, gib dich mir in einer Gāndharva-Ehe; denn unter den anderen Eheformen wird diese als die vornehmste gepriesen.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablative used adverbially: 'therefore/from that reason')

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: yourself (self)
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गान्धर्वेण: by the gāndharva (form)
• गान्धर्वेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• सुशोभने: O very beautiful one
• सुशोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक); सम्बोधन-रूप
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-शोभना)

• विवाहेन: by marriage
• विवाहेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal conjunction)

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रधानः: principal, foremost
• प्रधानः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared, is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

Speaker

Mahiṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forceful suitor demands Gandharva marriage from a radiant goddess; the goddess’ posture shifts from composed to stern, foreshadowing imminent punishment.

Characters & Entities

• Gāndharva-vivāha
• Devī
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persuasion can misuse dharma-terms (like ‘approved’ marriage forms) to justify desire; Purāṇic narratives warn against such distortions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāndharva-vivāha (marriage by mutual consent) is referenced conceptually, not prescribed as a ritual here.