Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
यदि कश्चिद्द्विजो जात्या करोति मम सांप्रतम् । पाणिग्राहं तपोऽर्द्धस्य श्रेयो यच्छामि तस्य च
yadi kaściddvijo jātyā karoti mama sāṃpratam | pāṇigrāhaṃ tapo'rddhasya śreyo yacchāmi tasya ca
Ia berkata, “Jika ada seorang dvija (dua kali lahir) menurut kelahiran yang kini sudi menggenggam tanganku dalam pernikahan, akan kuanugerahkan kepadanya pahala dan kebaikan rohani dari separuh tapaku.”
Dīrghakanyā
Type: kshetra
Scene: The woman proclaims a vow: any dvija who accepts her hand will receive half the merit of her austerities; her raised hand becomes a gesture of offering rather than mere calling.
FAQs
It portrays tapas as transferable merit within dharmic bonds, emphasizing marriage as a sacral partnership tied to spiritual welfare.
The verse is within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter but does not itself name a tīrtha; it advances the episode that supports the chapter’s place-glorification.
Pāṇigrāha (hand-taking) as the formal act of marriage is explicitly mentioned.