Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80
Devanagari script
दाता महीभृतां नाथो होता देवश्चतुर्मुखः । वरः पशुपतिः साक्षात्कन्या विश्वरणिस्तथा
Transliteration
dātā mahībhṛtāṃ nātho hotā devaścaturmukhaḥ | varaḥ paśupatiḥ sākṣātkanyā viśvaraṇistathā
Translation
દાતા હતા પર્વતોના નાથ હિમવાન; હોતાઃ હતા ચતુર્મુખ દેવ બ્રહ્મા. વર સాక్షાત્ પશુપતિ અને કન્યા વિશ્વરાણી (પાર્વતી) હતી.
Word by Word
dātāthe giver
dātā:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Root√dā (धातु) + तृ (तृन्-प्रत्यय)
Formकर्तरि तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
mahī-bhṛtāmof the mountains
mahī-bhṛtām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootmahī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (√bhṛ + क्त, प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘महीम् भृतः’ = earth-bearers (mountains)
nāthaḥlord
nāthaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootnātha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
hotāthe officiating priest (invoker)
hotā:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Root√hu (धातु) + तृ (तृन्-प्रत्यय)
Formकर्तरि तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
devaḥthe god
devaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
caturmukhaḥthe four-faced (Brahmā)
caturmukhaḥ:
Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/apposition to devaḥ)
TypeNoun
Rootcatur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य’ (one who has four faces)
varaḥthe bridegroom
varaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootvara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
paśupatiḥPaśupati (Śiva)
paśupatiḥ:
Samānādhikaraṇa (apposition to varaḥ)
TypeNoun
Rootpaśu (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पशूनां पतिः’ (lord of beings)
sākṣātdirectly, in person
sākṣāt:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsākṣāt (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb: directly, in person)
kanyāthe maiden (bride)
kanyā:
Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootkanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
viśvaraṇiḥlady of the universe
viśvaraṇiḥ:
Samānādhikaraṇa (apposition to kanyā)
TypeNoun
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक) + raṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विश्वस्य रणी’ (queen/lady of the universe)
tathāthus, likewise
tathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating
Characters & Entities
H
HimālayaB
Brahmā (Caturmukha)Ś
Śiva (Paśupati)P
Pārvatī (Viśvaraṇī)FAQs
Cosmic order is mirrored in dharmic rites: each role is honored, and the divine acts through structured ritual.
No specific pilgrimage site is named; the focus is the sacrality of the wedding rite itself.
It identifies the formal roles—giver (dātā), priest (hotā), groom (vara), and bride (kanyā)—central to a dharmic vivāha.