Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 139

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षान्स्त्री चतुरोऽपि चतसृभिः । वह्निप्रदक्षिणाभिस्तान्विवाहेऽपि प्रदर्शयेत्

Transliteration

kanyovāca | dharmārthakāmamokṣānstrī caturo'pi catasṛbhiḥ | vahnipradakṣiṇābhistānvivāhe'pi pradarśayet

Translation

Das Mädchen sprach: „Durch die vier Umwandlungen um das heilige Feuer stellt die Frau selbst in der Ehe die vier Ziele dar: Dharma, Artha, Kāma und Mokṣa.“

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षान्: dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्त्री: a woman
• स्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• चतसृभिः: by/with four (acts)
• चतसृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतस्ृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वह्निप्रदक्षिणाभिः: by circumambulations of the fire
• वह्निप्रदक्षिणाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तान्: those (four)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विवाहे: in marriage
• विवाहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• प्रदर्शयेत्: should show/indicate
• प्रदर्शयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden responds confidently, pointing toward a wedding fire; the couple circumambulates Agni, with elders and priests witnessing, suggesting the four aims embodied in the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Vahni (sacred fire)
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even worldly rites like marriage can be framed as dharmic disciplines pointing to the full spectrum of human aims, including liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but no single tīrtha is explicitly named in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) of the sacred fire (vahni/agni) as part of the marriage rite.