Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

यदि पृच्छसि मे भूप कन्याधर्मपतिं प्रति । तन्नैषा कस्यचिद्देया सांप्रतं शृणु कारणम्

Transliteration

yadi pṛcchasi me bhūpa kanyādharmapatiṃ prati | tannaiṣā kasyaciddeyā sāṃprataṃ śṛṇu kāraṇam

Translation

Ô roi, si tu m’interroges sur l’époux légitime de ta fille, sache ceci : pour l’heure, elle ne doit être donnée à personne. Écoute maintenant la raison.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: None (Conjunction/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पृच्छसि: you ask
• पृच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative Singular); अत्र चतुर्थी (to me) अधिकयुक्तम्

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-प (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (Vocative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः पः/पालकः)

• कन्याधर्मपतिम्: the rightful husband of the maiden
• कन्याधर्मपतिम्: Karma (Object of asking/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या-धर्म-पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular); तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (कन्यायाः धर्मपतिः)

• प्रति: regarding
• प्रति: None (Postposition/कर्मप्रवचनीय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय; कर्मप्रवचनीय (towards/with regard to)

• तत्: then/so
• तत्: None (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः; वाक्योपक्रमे 'then/so' अर्थे

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एषा: this (girl)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Of anyone/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• देया: to be given (in marriage)
• देया: Karya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विधेय (to be given)

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: None (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'now/at present')

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (Padmaja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Satyasaṃdha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā raises a gentle instructive hand (abhaya/teaching gesture) telling the king to withhold giving the daughter in marriage for now; the king listens with controlled concern; the assembly remains attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• the King (bhūpa)
• the Maiden (Karṇotpalā, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes proper timing and eligibility; even good intentions must follow right conditions and reasons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction is stated: the maiden should not be given in marriage at present; the rationale is promised next.