Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

इयं कर्णोत्पलानाम मम कन्या सुशोभना । अस्या भुवि मया लब्धो न समोऽत्र पतिः क्वचित्

Transliteration

iyaṃ karṇotpalānāma mama kanyā suśobhanā | asyā bhuvi mayā labdho na samo'tra patiḥ kvacit

Translation

„Dies ist meine Tochter namens Karṇotpalā, strahlend schön. Für sie habe ich auf dieser Erde nirgends einen Gatten gefunden, der ihr ebenbürtig wäre.“

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• कर्णोत्पलानाम: of ear-lotuses (name)
• कर्णोत्पलानाम: Sambandha (Name/epithet relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-उत्पल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्णयोः उत्पलम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle indicating 'named')

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• कन्या: daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• सुशोभना: very beautiful
• सुशोभना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभना (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्गयुक्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Of her/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (Locative, Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• लब्धः: found/obtained
• लब्धः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; कर्तरि/भावे (obtained/found)

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• समः: equal
• समः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: None (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'ever/anywhere')

Speaker

The King (Satyasaṃdha)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king gestures toward his radiant daughter Karṇotpalā in the divine court; she stands modestly with downcast eyes, adorned in royal ornaments; the father speaks of her unmatched suitability.

Characters & Entities

• Karṇotpalā
• Satyasaṃdha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is treated as a dharmic responsibility: a guardian seeks a worthy, equal partner, not merely a convenient match.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the adhyāya’s tīrtha-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets up a request for dharmic counsel regarding marriage.