Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश । तथैव स महाभागः सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे

Transliteration

dadau sa daśa dharmāya kaśyapāya trayodaśa | tathaiva sa mahābhāgaḥ saptaviṃśatimindave

Translation

He gave ten (daughters) to Dharma and thirteen to Kaśyapa. Likewise, that greatly fortunate one gave twenty-seven to the Moon, Soma.

Word by Word

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

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

• दश: ten (daughters)
• दश: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् संख्या; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (दश दुहितॄः)

• धर्माय: to Dharma
• धर्माय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• कश्यपाय: to Kaśyapa
• कश्यपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रयोदश: thirteen (daughters)
• त्रयोदश: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; द्विगु-समासः—त्रयः + दश; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (त्रयोदश दुहितॄः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात

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

• महाभागः: the greatly fortunate one
• महाभागः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महा + भाग (तत्पुरुषः); विशेषणम् (सः)

• सप्तविंशतिम्: twenty-seven (daughters)
• सप्तविंशतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; द्विगु-समासः—सप्त + विंशति; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (संख्याफलरूपेण)

• इन्दवे: to the Moon (Indu)
• इन्दवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Soma-vaṃśa kṣatriya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa ceremonially gives daughters in marriage: ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, and twenty-seven to Soma; Soma is depicted with lunar radiance, the 27 as star-like attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Dharma
• Kaśyapa
• Indu (Soma/Chandra)
• Twenty-seven lunar wives (Nakṣatras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through sacred alliances and responsibility; imbalance in relationships later becomes the seed of karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned here; the verse explains the origin of Soma’s marital context that leads to the Revā tīrtha remedy later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit is the dharmic institution of marriage-giving (kanyādāna), though no specific rite is prescribed in this verse.