Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । दक्षस्य कन्यकाः पूर्वं सप्तविंशतिसंख्यया । उपयेमे निशानाथो देवाग्निगुरुसंनिधौ

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | dakṣasya kanyakāḥ pūrvaṃ saptaviṃśatisaṃkhyayā | upayeme niśānātho devāgnigurusaṃnidhau

Translation

Sūta said: Formerly, the Lord of the Night (Soma) married the daughters of Dakṣa—twenty-seven in number—in the presence of the gods, the sacred fire, and the gurus.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कन्यकाः: daughters/maidens
• कन्यकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/at first)

• सप्तविंशतिसंख्यया: by the count of twenty-seven
• सप्तविंशतिसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तविंशति + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सप्तविंशतेः संख्या = number of twenty-seven)

• उपयेमे: married
• उपयेमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; (उपयेमे = married/took in marriage)

• निशानाथः: the Moon (lord of night)
• निशानाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशानाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निशायाः नाथः = lord of night)

• देवाग्निगुरुसंनिधौ: in the presence of the gods, Agni, and the preceptor
• देवाग्निगुरुसंनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अग्नि + गुरु + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां च अग्नेः च गुरोः च संनिधिः = in the presence of gods, Agni, and the guru)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial wedding tableau: Soma (moon-god) adorned with a crescent crown, surrounded by twenty-seven radiant brides (Nakṣatras), with devas as witnesses; Agni blazing at the center and venerable gurus presiding.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dakṣa
• Soma (Niśānātha)
• Devas
• Agni
• Gurus
• 27 daughters (Nakṣatras implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritually sanctioned marriage and cosmic relationships are presented as part of dharma upheld before divine and sacred witnesses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; this verse supplies the backstory leading to the Somēśvara tīrtha’s healing narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, that major rites like marriage are to be performed with sacred witnesses—devas, fire (Agni), and teachers (gurus).