Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

आत्मश्रेणिप्रसूताय वयोज्येष्ठाय भूपते । कन्या देया च धर्माय यशसे कुलवृद्धये

Transliteration

ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya vayojyeṣṭhāya bhūpate | kanyā deyā ca dharmāya yaśase kulavṛddhaye

Translation

Ô roi, une fille doit être donnée en mariage à celui qui est né d’une lignée convenable et honorable, et qui est mûr en âge, afin que le dharma soit maintenu, que la renommée advienne et que la lignée s’accroisse.

Word by Word

• ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya: to (one) born of his own lineage/line
• ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūta (कृदन्त, √sū/सू प्रसवे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘भूपते’ इत्यस्य

• vayojyeṣṭhāya: to the eldest in age
• vayojyeṣṭhāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक) + jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘भूपते’ इत्यस्य

• bhūpate: O king
• bhūpate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• kanyā: a maiden/daughter
• kanyā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• deyā: to be given
• deyā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) → deyā (कृदन्त, विधेय/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता—‘देया’ = ‘दातव्या/should be given’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dharmāya: for righteousness/dharma
• dharmāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• yaśase: for fame
• yaśase: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• kulavṛddhaye: for the increase of the family/lineage
• kulavṛddhaye: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (Padmaja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: a sage/celestial advisor instructs a king about giving his daughter in marriage to a worthy, mature groom; attendants, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a poised princess in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• the King (bhūpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is a dharmic institution aimed at sustaining righteousness, reputation, and lineage—requiring suitability and maturity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is instructional within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A normative rule for kanyādāna is stated: choose a groom of proper lineage and mature age for dharma, fame, and family continuity.