Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

छांदोग्य उवाच । नागरो नागरं मुक्त्वा योऽन्यस्मै संप्रयच्छति । कन्यकां यः प्रगृह्णाति विवाहार्थं कथंचन

Transliteration

chāṃdogya uvāca | nāgaro nāgaraṃ muktvā yo'nyasmai saṃprayacchati | kanyakāṃ yaḥ pragṛhṇāti vivāhārthaṃ kathaṃcana

Translation

チャーンドーギャは言った。「もしナーガラが、ナーガラ同士の縁組を退けて（娘を）他者に与えるなら、あるいは誰であれ、いかなる手段によってでも婚姻のために乙女を受け取るなら——」

Word by Word

• chāṃdogyaḥ: Chāndogya (a sage)
• chāṃdogyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chāṃdogya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वक्तृ-निर्देशः

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• nāgaraḥ: a Nāgara (man of Nāgara group)
• nāgaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• nāgaram: a Nāgara (person)
• nāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• muktvā: having left/abandoned
• muktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः

• anyasmai: to another
• anyasmai: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• saṃprayacchati: hands over/gives
• saṃprayacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + sam + yam/yaṃ (धातु: यम्/यच्छ्-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• kanyakām: a maiden
• kanyakām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः

• pragṛhṇāti: accepts/takes
• pragṛhṇāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + grah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• vivāha-artham: for marriage
• vivāha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थक-द्वितीया (accusative of purpose)

• kathaṃcana: somehow/anyhow
• kathaṃcana: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: in some way/anyhow)

Speaker

Chāndogya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the story (Nāgara community/king’s circle; contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic-looking sage ‘Chāndogya’ speaks authoritatively, enumerating a rule: a Nāgara should not abandon a Nāgara match; the scene resembles a dharma-assembly with listeners attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Chāndogya
• Nāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is also expressed through social vows and community ethics; violating them is treated as a moral fault in the narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya section of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse introduces a rule/concern regarding marriage arrangements.