Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा प्रयत्नेन श्राद्धे यज्ञे च पार्थिव । कन्यादाने विशेषेण योज्यश्चाष्टकुलोद्भवः

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā prayatnena śrāddhe yajñe ca pārthiva | kanyādāne viśeṣeṇa yojyaścāṣṭakulodbhavaḥ

Translation

Sachant cela, ô roi, il convient, avec soin, de faire officier un descendant de l’Aṣṭakula lors des rites de Śrāddha et des sacrifices, et tout particulièrement lors du kanyādāna, le don de la fille en mariage.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (Locative singular)

• यज्ञे: in/at the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative) एकवचन

• कन्यादाने: in the giving of a maiden (kanyādāna)
• कन्यादाने: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental used adverbially: “especially”)

• योज्यः: should be employed/appointed
• योज्यः: Kārya/vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु) + यत् (योज्य)
• Form: कृदन्त विशेषण; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• अष्टकुलोद्भवः: one born of eight lineages
• अष्टकुलोद्भवः: Karta/Viśeṣya (Subject/predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टकुलात् उद्भवः = born from eight families)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king) addressed as ‘pārthiva’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar (vedi) prepared; a king consults a sage; an Aṣṭakula brāhmaṇa is respectfully invited for śrāddha/yajña; kanyādāna context hinted by bridal symbols in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭakulodbhava
• Śrāddha
• Yajña
• Kanyādāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit depends not only on the act but also on proper procedure and qualified officiants; careful adherence is praised as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a ritual instruction within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the verse does not name a single tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage an Aṣṭakulodbhava Brāhmaṇa particularly for śrāddha, yajña, and most importantly for kanyādāna.