Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कन्यां यच्छति वृद्धाय नीचाय धनलिप्सया । कुरूपाय कुशीलाय स प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

kanyāṃ yacchati vṛddhāya nīcāya dhanalipsayā | kurūpāya kuśīlāya sa preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

L’homme qui, par avidité de richesses, donne sa fille à un vieillard, à un être vil, disgracieux et de mauvaise conduite—cet homme renaît en preta (esprit affamé).

Word by Word

• कन्याम्: a maiden, daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• यच्छति: gives (in marriage), hands over
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु; ‘to give/hand over’ in causative/usage)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थे ‘ददाति/समर्पयति’

• वृद्धाय: to an old (man)
• वृद्धाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; used substantively ‘to an old man’

• नीचाय: to a low, base (man)
• नीचाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; used substantively ‘to a low (man)’

• धन: wealth
• धन: Sambandha (Compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग

• लिप्सया: out of desire
• लिप्सया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिप्सा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘by/with desire’

• धनलिप्सया: from desire for wealth
• धनलिप्सया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + लिप्सा (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dhanasya lipsayā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• कुरूपाय: to an ugly (man)
• कुरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; used substantively ‘to an ugly (man)’

• कुशीलाय: to a vile/ill-charactered (man)
• कुशीलाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; used substantively ‘to an ill-natured/low-character (man)’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• प्रेतः: a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• जायते: is born, becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (likely the respondent/teacher in the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary scene: a father exchanges his daughter in marriage for wealth to an unsuitable groom (old/base/ill-favored/bad conduct), with the karmic shadow of pretatva looming; the king listens to the warning.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Family and marriage decisions must be guided by dharma, not greed; exploiting a daughter for wealth is condemned with severe karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical warning regarding kanyā-dāna and motives.