Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाय विवाहेन दापयेत्पाण्डुनन्दन । समानवयसे देया कुलशीलधनैस्तथा

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāya vivāhena dāpayetpāṇḍunandana | samānavayase deyā kulaśīladhanaistathā

Translation

ഹേ പാണ്ഡുനന്ദനാ, വിവാഹവിധിയാൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണനു കന്യയെ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. സമവയസ്സുള്ള, സുകുല-ശീല-ധനസമ്പന്നനായ വരനു അവളെ നൽകണം।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन

• विवाहेन: by/through marriage (rite)
• विवाहेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• दापयेत्: should cause (her) to be given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative); विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु-नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: पाण्डु + नन्दन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: “पाण्डोः नन्दनः”)

• समानवयसे: to one of equal age
• समानवयसे: Sampradana (Recipient qualifier/सम्प्रदानविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान-वयस् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: समान + वयस्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय (समानं वयः यस्य)

• देया: should be given
• देया: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; क्तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: “to be given/should be given”)

• कुलशीलधनैः: with family (lineage), conduct, and wealth
• कुलशीलधनैः: Karana (Accompaniment/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल-शील-धन (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: कुल + शील + धन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (kula, character, and wealth)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चय (adverb: “thus/also”)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing instruction to the Pāṇḍava listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Pāṇḍava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal marriage arrangement scene: elders and priests counsel a Pāṇḍava king; the bride is presented with modesty; the groom is depicted as learned and virtuous; ritual items—garlands, water-pot, sacred thread, and fire—signal dharmic propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pāṇḍunandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld not only by ritual but also by ethically ordered social duties such as proper marriage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction continues within the Revā tīrtha discourse of Revā Khaṇḍa, where such dharmic acts are praised when performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyā-dāna through proper vivāha, emphasizing suitability of the groom (age, family, character, and means).