Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । भवतां तस्य वा कार्यं देवस्य वचनं हृदि । समयं कर्तुमिच्छामि कन्यादाने ह्यनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | bhavatāṃ tasya vā kāryaṃ devasya vacanaṃ hṛdi | samayaṃ kartumicchāmi kanyādāne hyanuttamam

Translation

王は言った。「あなた方に関することであれ彼に関することであれ、神の言葉は心に留め置くべきである。私は、この最も優れた『カニヤーダーナ（娘の贈与）』の行いに関して、厳粛な取り決めをしたいと望む。」

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg)

• bhavatām: of you (honorific)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: आदरार्थ-प्रयोगः; पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural: of you)

• tasya: of him; his
• tasya: Sambandha (Of him/of that)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: or)

• kāryam: duty; what should be done
• kāryam: Karma/Pradhāna (What is to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom/Acc sg); विधेय-भावे (predicate: duty/thing to be done)

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• vacanam: word; command
• vacanam: Karma (Object/Content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom/Acc sg)

• hṛdi: in the heart
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• samayam: agreement; condition
• samayam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• kartum: to make
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त-क्रियाविशेषणम् (infinitive: to make)

• icchāmi: I wish
• icchāmi: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); उत्तम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (1st sg)

• kanyādāne: in the giving of the maiden (kanyādāna)
• kanyādāne: Adhikaraṇa (Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: indeed/for)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed; excellent
• anuttamam: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with samayam) (Accusative singular neuter)

Speaker

King

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/assembly; within story: brāhmaṇas addressed by the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king speaks formally: the deity’s word must be kept in the heart; he proposes a solemn agreement for the supreme gift of giving his daughter in marriage.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Deity (Agni implied)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is anchored in honoring divine instruction and formalizing righteous commitments without wavering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Māhiṣmatī milieu that culminates in the fame of Agnitīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyādāna is affirmed as an ‘anuttama’ (supreme) rite, to be performed with a clear covenant/condition.