Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अथ तां यौवनोपेतां दृष्ट्वा स पृथिवीपतिः । चिंतयामास चित्तेन कस्येमां प्रददाम्यहम्

Transliteration

atha tāṃ yauvanopetāṃ dṛṣṭvā sa pṛthivīpatiḥ | ciṃtayāmāsa cittena kasyemāṃ pradadāmyaham

Translation

La voyant désormais parée de jeunesse, le seigneur de la terre songea en son cœur : «À qui donnerai-je cette jeune fille ?»

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Avyaya (Discourse marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययम्

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• yauvana-upetām: possessed of youth
• yauvana-upetām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—‘यौवनेन उपेता’ (endowed with youth)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund): having seen

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• pṛthivī-patiḥ: the king; lord of the earth
• pṛthivī-patiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—‘पृथिव्याः पतिः’ (lord of the earth)

• ciṃtayāmāsa: he thought; pondered
• ciṃtayāmāsa: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + लिट्
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्तः (he pondered)

• cittena: with (his) mind
• cittena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्

• kasya: to whom; of whom
• kasya: Sampradana (Recipient—genitive usage/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• imām: this (girl)
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• pradadāmi: shall I give
• pradadāmi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, seeing the maiden in full youth, sits in thoughtful posture, hand to chin, surrounded by ministers and brāhmaṇas; the princess stands modestly aside, indicating the impending decision of giving her in marriage.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires thoughtful discernment—especially in life-defining duties like marriage and guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this single verse; it is part of a broader tīrtha-centered chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the topic is the dharmic decision of giving a daughter in marriage.