Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

कस्मान्नाथ प्रदत्तासौ विरूपाय त्वया विभो । कन्यकेयं सुरूपाढ्या सर्वलक्षणसंयुता

Transliteration

kasmānnātha pradattāsau virūpāya tvayā vibho | kanyakeyaṃ surūpāḍhyā sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutā

Translation

«Pourquoi, ô seigneur souverain, l’as-tu donnée à Virūpa ? Cette jeune fille est riche de beauté et porte tous les signes de bon augure.»

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what reason? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun-stem ‘kim’

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रदत्ता: given/bestowed
• प्रदत्ता: Karma (कर्म) as predicate-participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that (woman/one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता) / subject-reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विरूपाय: to the ugly (man)
• विरूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; used substantively ‘to the ugly one’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥/Agent-instrument (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया? (incorrect) → तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कन्यका: the maiden
• कन्यका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता) / deictic apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुरूपाढ्या: rich in beauty
• सुरूपाढ्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (surupeṇa āḍhyā = endowed with beauty)

• सर्वलक्षणसंयुता: possessing all auspicious marks
• सर्वलक्षणसंयुता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sarva-lakṣaṇaiḥ saṃyutā = endowed with all marks)

Speaker

The maiden (addressing her father) or a close family member speaking on her behalf (context indicates protest to the father)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker confronts the lordly decision-maker: why give such a beautiful, auspicious maiden to Virūpa? The scene is charged with moral appeal.

Characters & Entities

• Virūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes accountability—elders’ decisions can be questioned when they appear misaligned with wellbeing and propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the episode within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral and familial interrogation.