Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मातुलस्य सुतामूढ्वा मातृगोत्रां तथैव च । समानप्रवरां चैव त्यक्त्वा चांद्रायणं चरेत्

Transliteration

mātulasya sutāmūḍhvā mātṛgotrāṃ tathaiva ca | samānapravarāṃ caiva tyaktvā cāṃdrāyaṇaṃ caret

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും മാതുലന്റെ (മാമന്റെ) പുത്രിയെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മാതൃഗോത്രത്തിലുള്ള സ്ത്രീയെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സമാനപ്രവരമുള്ള സ്ത്രീയെ വിവാഹം ചെയ്താൽ—അവളെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ചാന്ദ്രായണ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ആചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• मातुलस्य: of the maternal uncle
• मातुलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• ऊढ्वा: having married/taken (as wife)
• ऊढ्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √वह्/√ऊह् (धातु; ‘to marry/take as wife’) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; absolutive/gerund)

• मातृ: mother
• मातृ: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (mother)

• गोत्राम्: (a woman) of the mother’s gotra
• गोत्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मातृ-गोत्रा = मातुः गोत्रा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thus/so)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• समान: same
• समान: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (same/equal)

• प्रवराम्: (a woman) having the same pravara
• प्रवराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समान-प्रवरा = समानः प्रवरः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned/renounced
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• आन्द्रायणम्: the Cāndrāyaṇa penance
• आन्द्रायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आन्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular); व्रतनाम (name of a penance)

• चरेत्: should perform/practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should practice)

Speaker

Unspecified (dharma instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent performing Cāndrāyaṇa: austere setting, measured portions of food, lunar calendar marked; a guru instructs; the couple separated respectfully, emphasizing expiation over drama.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It upholds lineage-based dharma boundaries and prescribes repentance and correction when those boundaries are breached.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is praised; the focus is on social-religious law and expiation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa—an expiatory observance traditionally regulated by the lunar cycle (diet/discipline), undertaken here as prāyaścitta.