Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तस्मै निवेदयामास कन्यार्थं तान्हयोत्तमान् । गाधिस्तु तान्प्रगृह्याथ योग्यान्वाजिमखस्य च

Transliteration

tasmai nivedayāmāsa kanyārthaṃ tānhayottamān | gādhistu tānpragṛhyātha yogyānvājimakhasya ca

Translation

Um die Jungfrau zu erlangen, überreichte er ihm jene vortrefflichen Pferde. König Gādhi nahm sie an und hielt sie zugleich für geeignet zum Aśvamedha (Pferdeopfer).

Word by Word

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• निवेदयामास: presented/informed
• निवेदयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद्/विद् (धातु) (कारयति-प्रयोग: निवेदयति)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; causative sense ‘made known/presented’

• कन्या-अर्थम्: for (obtaining) the maiden
• कन्या-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the sake/purpose of)

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

• हय-उत्तमान्: excellent horses
• हय-उत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठाः हयाः’

• गाधिः: Gādhi
• गाधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

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

• प्रगृह्य: having accepted
• प्रगृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having taken/accepted’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रमबोधक

• योग्यान्: fit, suitable
• योग्यान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तान्/हयान्)

• वाजिमखस्य: of the horse-sacrifice
• वाजिमखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि + मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘वाजिनः मखः’ (horse-sacrifice)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic ākhyāna voice; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a royal court setting, Ṛcīka formally presents the excellent horses as the condition for receiving the maiden; King Gādhi inspects and accepts them, noting their sacrificial worth.

Characters & Entities

• Gādhi
• Aśvamedha (Vājimakha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the intertwining of household/social duties (marriage) with royal dharma and sacrificial merit, showing how worldly acts are framed within dharmic legitimacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but no specific tīrtha-name is stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Aśvamedha (Vājimakha), a royal horse-sacrifice, is referenced as the ritual context for the horses’ suitability.