Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अद्यप्रभृति यः कन्यामविदित्वा तु नागरम् । नागरो दास्यति क्वापि पतितः स भविष्यति

Transliteration

adyaprabhṛti yaḥ kanyāmaviditvā tu nāgaram | nāgaro dāsyati kvāpi patitaḥ sa bhaviṣyati

Translation

Von diesem Tage an: Wer eine Jungfrau zur Ehe gibt, ohne zuvor zu erkennen, dass sie der Nāgara-Gemeinschaft angehört, wo immer er es auch tue—der wird ein Gefallener (patita) sein.

Word by Word

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालारम्भवाचक (from today onwards)

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• कन्याम्: a maiden/girl
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• अविदित्वा: without knowing
• अविदित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; नञ्-पूर्वक (अ + विदित्वा) — ‘not knowing/without recognizing’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• नागरम्: a Nāgara (man of Nāgara community)
• नागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• नागरः: a Nāgara (person)
• नागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्वापि: somewhere/anywhere
• क्वापि: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere/anywhere)

• पतितः: fallen
• पतितः: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (पत्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (fallen/degenerate)

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

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (same authority figure issuing a rule)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (community dharma sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ; Brahmasthāna-āśrayins

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal proclamation scene: the speaker warns the assembly about improper kanyādāna; in the background, a symbolic wedding fire and a veiled maiden indicate the gravity of saṃskāra purity.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Social and ritual order (dharma) requires due verification and responsibility in sacraments like marriage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a dharmic injunction within the tīrtha narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: kanyādāna performed without proper ascertainment is declared dharmically ruinous (causing “patitatva”).