Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अवश्यं यदि ते कार्यं भार्यया परया मखे । त्वया वा ब्राह्मणी कापि प्रख्याता भुवनत्रये

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ yadi te kāryaṃ bhāryayā parayā makhe | tvayā vā brāhmaṇī kāpi prakhyātā bhuvanatraye

Translation

Wenn es für dich wirklich notwendig ist, für das Opfer (mākha) eine Gattin zu haben, dann sei es eine Brahmanin, berühmt in den drei Welten.

Word by Word

• अवश्यम्: certainly, necessarily
• अवश्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘नित्यम्/निश्चितम्’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conditional marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/शर्तसूचक conjunction): ‘if’

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन; ‘तव/ते’

• कार्यम्: task, duty, thing to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः क्तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचन; ‘कार्यं’

• भार्यया: by/with (a) wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• परया: another, different
• परया: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भार्यया)

• मखे: in the sacrifice/ritual
• मखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative) एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पसूचक particle): ‘or’

• ब्राह्मणी: a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative) एकवचन

• कापि: some (woman)
• कापि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: का (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक ‘some’; ‘अपि’ निपात-सम्बद्ध

• प्रख्याता: well-known, famed
• प्रख्याता: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-ख्यात (ख्यात/ख्या धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; (ब्राह्मणी/का) विशेषणम्

• भुवनत्रये: in the three worlds
• भुवनत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘त्रयाणां भुवनानाम्’ = in the three worlds)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; admonitory dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense sacrificial setting: a yajña-vedi with priests, ladles, and fire; a speaker gestures firmly, insisting on a qualified brāhmaṇī consort for the rite; onlookers show concern about propriety.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts must be supported by propriety and dhārmic suitability, not by impulsive or improper choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; the setting is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to the requirement of an appropriate spouse/partner in the context of a yajña (sacrifice).