Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

उत्तानपाद उवाच । कन्यादानं कथं स्वामिन् कर्तव्यं धार्मिकैः सदा । परिग्रहो यथा पोष्यः कन्योद्वाहस्तथैव च

Transliteration

uttānapāda uvāca | kanyādānaṃ kathaṃ svāmin kartavyaṃ dhārmikaiḥ sadā | parigraho yathā poṣyaḥ kanyodvāhastathaiva ca

Translation

Uttānapāda dit : «Ô Seigneur, comment les hommes de dharma doivent-ils accomplir sans cesse le kanyā-dāna ? Comment faut-il accueillir et entretenir l’époux, et comment célébrer de même le mariage de la jeune fille ?»

Word by Word

• उत्तानपादः: Uttānapāda (proper name)
• उत्तानपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तानपाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः बहुव्रीहिः (उत्तानौ पादौ यस्य) नाम

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

• कन्यादानम्: maiden-giving (marriage gift)
• कन्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यादान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

• स्वामिन्: O lord/master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• धार्मिकैः: by the righteous people
• धार्मिकैः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• परिग्रहः: acceptance/receiving (of the bride)
• परिग्रहः: Karta (Topic/कर्ता-प्रकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यथा: as; in what manner
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान/सम्बन्ध (as/how)

• पोष्यः: to be maintained
• पोष्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (to be maintained/nourished); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कन्योद्वाहः: the marriage of a maiden
• कन्योद्वाहः: Karta (Topic/कर्ता-प्रकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्योद्वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः उद्वाहः)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्/एवम् (thus/so)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

Speaker

King Uttānapāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: svāmin (the Lord/divine teacher addressed in the prior verse’s first-person promise)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Uttānapāda, hands folded, asks a seated divine teacher about the proper method of kanyā-dāna and marriage; scribes/priests with palm-leaf manuscripts indicate procedural dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Uttānapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even highly praised acts like kanyā-dāna require correct procedure; dharma is fulfilled through right intention and right method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the Revā Khaṇḍa frame continues as a dharma-instruction dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for prescriptions: how to perform kanyā-dāna, how to accept/support the marital alliance, and how to conduct the wedding.