Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सच्चरित्रा पतिपरा सा तेभ्यो दातुमर्हति । विशुद्धकुलजा कन्या धर्मोढा धर्मचारिणी

Transliteration

saccaritrā patiparā sā tebhyo dātumarhati | viśuddhakulajā kanyā dharmoḍhā dharmacāriṇī

Translation

Berbudi pekerti luhur dan setia kepada suami, ia layak diserahkan kepada mereka (dalam pernikahan). Seorang gadis dari garis keturunan yang suci, dinikahkan menurut dharma, ia hidup sebagai pelaku dharma.

Word by Word

• sat-caritrā: of good conduct
• sat-caritrā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + caritra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘सत् चरित्रम् यस्याः’)

• pati-parā: devoted to her husband
• pati-parā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘पतौ परा’ = devoted to husband)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• dātum: to give
• dātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) अव्ययभाव: ‘to give’

• arhati: is worthy/ought
• arhati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• viśuddha-kula-jā: born of a pure family
• viśuddha-kula-jā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक) + jan (धातु) → jā (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘विशुद्धं कुलं यस्याः’ + ‘जाता’)

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

• dharma-ūḍhā: married according to dharma
• dharma-ūḍhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + vah (धातु) → ūḍha (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘धर्मेण/धर्मतः ऊढा’ = married according to dharma)

• dharma-cāriṇī: practising righteousness
• dharma-cāriṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + car (धातु) → cāriṇī (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘धर्मं चरति’)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a sage/king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed portrait-like scene of a dharmic couple: the wife modest, attentive, engaged in household worship; emphasis on virtue and dharma-practice rather than wedding spectacle.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in marriage is upheld through character, fidelity, and righteous conduct, not merely through social form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the dharmic gifting of the bride (kanyā-dāna) to a suitable groom, grounded in dharma.