Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततस्तस्याः कुमार्याः स पाणिं जग्राह दक्षिणम् । गृह्योक्तेन विधानेन देवाग्निगुरुसंनिधौ

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tatastasyāḥ kumāryāḥ sa pāṇiṃ jagrāha dakṣiṇam | gṛhyoktena vidhānena devāgnigurusaṃnidhau

Translation

Sūta sprach: Dann ergriff er die rechte Hand des Mädchens, gemäß der in den gṛhya-Riten gelehrten Ordnung, in Gegenwart der Götter, des heiligen Feuers und des Lehrers.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: then/from that)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी (genitive)

• कुमार्याः: of the maiden
• कुमार्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी (genitive)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (nominative)

• पाणिम्: hand
• पाणिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (accusative)

• जग्राह: took, grasped
• जग्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणम्: right (hand)
• दक्षिणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (accusative) — पाणिम् इति विशेष्य

• गृह्योक्तेन: as stated in the gṛhya (domestic ritual texts)
• गृह्योक्तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (‘गृह्ये उक्तः’ = stated in the Gṛhya-sūtras); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, तृतीया (instrumental)

• विधानेन: by the procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, तृतीया (instrumental)

• देव-अग्नि-गुरु-संनिधौ: in the presence of the gods, fire, and the guru
• देव-अग्नि-गुरु-संनिधौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमास (देवानाम् अग्नेः गुरोः च संनिधिः); पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी (locative)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The groom takes the bride’s right hand (dakṣiṇa-pāṇi-grahaṇa) beside a blazing sacred fire; a guru sits nearby; subtle divine presences are suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Devas
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts gain firmness when done with witnesses of dharma—Agni, devas, and guru—signifying accountability and sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it frames the household rite that precedes the later tīrtha circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking the right hand (dakṣiṇa-pāṇi-grahaṇa) according to gṛhya injunctions, with Agni and elders as witnesses.