Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

काश्यां संबंधिता बाला वैजयंत्यां विवाहिता । सा धर्माचरणे दक्षा वैष्णवव्रतचारिणी

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ saṃbaṃdhitā bālā vaijayaṃtyāṃ vivāhitā | sā dharmācaraṇe dakṣā vaiṣṇavavratacāriṇī

Translation

La jeune fille fut fiancée à Kāśī et mariée à Vaijayantī. Elle était habile dans la pratique du dharma et observait les vœux vaiṣṇavas.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• संबंधिता: connected/related
• संबंधिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+बन्ध् (धातु) → संबंधित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• बाला: the young girl
• बाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वैजयन्त्याम्: in Vaijayantī
• वैजयन्त्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैजयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• विवाहिता: married
• विवाहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+वह् (धातु) → विवाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्माचरणे: in the practice of dharma
• धर्माचरणे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आचरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य आचरणम्)

• दक्षा: skilled
• दक्षा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वैष्णवव्रतचारिणी: observer of Vaiṣṇava vows
• वैष्णवव्रतचारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव + व्रत + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वैष्णवस्य व्रतस्य चारिणी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as referenced); Vaijayantī (as referenced)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene journey: the maiden’s betrothal rites in Kāśī near ghāṭas and temples; the wedding in Vaijayantī under a decorated maṇḍapa; she holds tulasī and a small Viṣṇu emblem, signifying Vaiṣṇava vows.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vaijayantī
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived through life-stages—marriage and vows—so that personal conduct becomes a vehicle for spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is explicitly mentioned as a key sacred locale; Vaijayantī is also named as a significant place in the narrative geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights vow-observance (Vaiṣṇava vrata) rather than a single ritual act.