Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

मदीयवचनं श्रुत्वा तथा कुरुत वै विधिम् । विवाहकाले संप्राप्ते दंपत्योः सौख्यहेतवे

Transliteration

madīyavacanaṃ śrutvā tathā kuruta vai vidhim | vivāhakāle saṃprāpte daṃpatyoḥ saukhyahetave

Translation

എന്റെ വചനം ശ്രവിച്ച് അതനുസരിച്ച് വിധി യഥാവിധി ആചരിക്കുവിൻ. വിവാഹകാലം വന്നാൽ ദമ്പതികളുടെ സുഖവും ക്ഷേമവും നേടുവാൻ അതു ചെയ്യുക.

Word by Word

• madīya-vacanam: my statement/words
• madīya-vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madīya (प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मम इति षष्ठीसम्बन्धः)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालक्रिया

• tathā: thus/accordingly
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• kuruta: do (you all)
• kuruta: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• vidhim: the rite/procedure
• vidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vivāha-kāle: at the time of marriage
• vivāha-kāle: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विवाहस्य कालः)

• saṃprāpte: when (it) has arrived/come
• saṃprāpte: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'vivāhakāle' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• daṃpatyoḥ: of the couple (husband and wife)
• daṃpatyoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃpatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचनान्त-प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन

• saukhya-hetave: for the cause of happiness
• saukhya-hetave: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सौख्यस्य हेतुः)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure (ṛṣi) instructs a householder couple; in the background a simple wedding-fire altar (vivāha-homa) and auspicious items (kalaśa, garlands) suggest saṃskāra discipline and marital harmony.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Follow dharmic instruction and proper ritual order so that life-transitions like marriage become vehicles of harmony and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya setting, but this specific line emphasizes samskāra-dharma rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It instructs performing the proper ‘vidhi’ (prescribed marriage procedure) at the appropriate time for the couple’s welfare.