Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यत्सप्तमंडलानां च गमनं च करार्पणम् । वह्निश्च वरुणः कृष्णो देवताश्च सवल्लभाः

Transliteration

yatsaptamaṃḍalānāṃ ca gamanaṃ ca karārpaṇam | vahniśca varuṇaḥ kṛṣṇo devatāśca savallabhāḥ

Translation

Das ist: das Umschreiten der sieben Kreise und das Darreichen der Hand (die Übergabe in der Ehe). Agni, Varuṇa, Kṛṣṇa und die anderen geliebten Gottheiten, die dort zugegen sind, sind Zeugen und Kräfte des Ritus.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); अन्वयः—‘यत् (कर्म)’

• सप्त-मण्डलानाम्: of the seven circles/rounds
• सप्त-मण्डलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गमनम्: going/circumambulation
• गमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) + अन (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाववाचक (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कर-अर्पणम्: giving of the hand (handing over)
• कर-अर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्पण (अर्प् धातु + ल्युट्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative; ‘करस्य अर्पणम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• वह्निः: Agni (fire)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स-वल्लभाः: together with (their) beloveds
• स-वल्लभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘सह’) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial; ‘वल्लभैः सह’/‘with their beloveds’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Uncertain (continuation of address about marriage rites; likely the same speaker as previous verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A couple performs saptapadī around the sacred fire within a drawn mandala; Agni rises as a personified deity; Varuṇa appears with water-pot; Kṛṣṇa stands as auspicious witness among other devatā-s.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Varuṇa
• Kṛṣṇa
• Devatāḥ
• Sapta-maṇḍala (seven rounds/circles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is portrayed as a sacred, deity-witnessed dharmic act, sanctified by prescribed steps and offerings rather than mere social contract.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; it highlights vivāha-saṃskāra elements within the chapter’s larger sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Circumambulation/going through seven circles (sapta-maṇḍala) and karārpaṇa (handing/placing of the hand) are explicitly referenced.