Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

पराशर उवाच । स ब्राह्मो वरमाहूय यत्र कन्या स्वलंकृता । दीयते तत्सुतः पूयात्पुरुषानेकविंशतिम्

Transliteration

parāśara uvāca | sa brāhmo varamāhūya yatra kanyā svalaṃkṛtā | dīyate tatsutaḥ pūyātpuruṣānekaviṃśatim

Translation

പരാശരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വരനെ ക്ഷണിച്ച്, അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട കന്യയെ ദാനമായി നൽകുന്ന വിവാഹം ബ്രാഹ്മവിവാഹം ആകുന്നു. ആ സംയോഗത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച പുത്രൻ ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് തലമുറയിലെ പുരുഷന്മാരെ ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पराशरः: Parāśara
• पराशरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (that)

• ब्राह्मः: Brāhma (marriage)
• ब्राह्मः: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विवाह-विशेष-नाम (Brāhma marriage)

• वरम्: the bridegroom
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन (bridegroom)

• आहूय: having invited
• आहूय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह्वे (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययम् (having invited/called)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (where)

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (girl/daughter)

• स्वलङ्कृता: well-adorned
• स्वलङ्कृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + अलङ्कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘सुअलङ्कृता’; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (well-adorned)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive), आत्मनेपदम् (is given)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे अव्यक्त-समासपूर्वपदम् (of that)

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (son)

• पूयात्: should purify
• पूयात्: Kriya (Result/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (should purify)

• पुरुषान्: persons/ancestors
• पुरुषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (men/ancestors)

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (एक + विंशति); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (twenty-one)

Speaker

Parāśara

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parāśara teaches; a Brāhma wedding scene appears: the bride, adorned, is given to an invited groom; behind them a luminous ancestral line of twenty-one figures is shown being washed in light.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage performed in a dharmic, respectful manner elevates the family line and supports spiritual purity across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is praised; the verse emphasizes the ‘mahatmya’ of dharmic conduct within household life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhma marriage: invite a worthy groom and give the adorned bride according to righteous custom.