Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

याज्ञवल्क्यः । अरोगिणीं भ्रातृमतीमसमानार्षगोत्रजाम् । पंचमात्सप्तमार्दूर्ध्वं मातृतः पितृत स्तथा

Transliteration

yājñavalkyaḥ | arogiṇīṃ bhrātṛmatīmasamānārṣagotrajām | paṃcamātsaptamārdūrdhvaṃ mātṛtaḥ pitṛta stathā

Translation

Yājñavalkya says: One should marry a healthy girl, who has brothers, and who is born in a different ṛṣi-lineage (ārṣa-gotra). The marriage is permitted beyond the fifth and up to the seventh degree—counting both on the mother’s side and on the father’s side, as taught.

Word by Word

• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Yājñavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञवल्क्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम/वक्तृ-निर्देशः

• अरोगिणीम्: healthy (free from disease)
• अरोगिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निषेध-उपसर्ग ‘अ’

• भ्रातृमतीम्: having a brother
• भ्रातृमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रातृ-मत् (प्रातिपदिक; भ्रातृ + मतुप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘भ्रातृयुक्ता’

• असमानार्षगोत्रजाम्: born of a different ṛṣi-gotra (not the same)
• असमानार्षगोत्रजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-समान-आर्ष-गोत्र-ज (प्रातिपदिक; अ + समान + आर्ष + गोत्र + ज)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गोत्रज’ = गोत्रात् जाता; ‘असमान’ = भिन्न; ‘आर्ष’ = ऋषिसम्बन्धि

• पञ्चमात्: from the fifth (degree)
• पञ्चमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्रम/संख्या-निर्देशः

• सप्तमात्: from the seventh (degree)
• सप्तमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्रम/संख्या-निर्देशः

• ऊर्ध्वम्: beyond/above
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/परिमाणवाचक (upwards/beyond)

• मातृतः: on the mother’s side
• मातृतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘मातृपक्षात्’

• पितृतः: on the father’s side
• पितृतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘पितृपक्षात्’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (thus/also)

Speaker

Yājñavalkya (cited authority)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija/gṛhastha audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Yājñavalkya teaching with a genealogical diagram motif: two family trees (maternal/paternal) with marked degrees; a prospective couple shown at a respectful distance; symbols for health and protection (brothers standing behind).

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma frames marriage as a disciplined sacrament, requiring health, social support, and proper lineage distance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a dharma guideline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription for eligibility: marry outside one’s ṛṣi-gotra line and beyond prohibited degrees on both maternal and paternal sides.