Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सवर्णाभिस्तु सर्वाभिः पाणिर्ग्राह्यस्त्वयं विधिः । धर्म्ये विवाहे जायंते धर्म्याः पुत्राः शतायुषः

Transliteration

savarṇābhistu sarvābhiḥ pāṇirgrāhyastvayaṃ vidhiḥ | dharmye vivāhe jāyaṃte dharmyāḥ putrāḥ śatāyuṣaḥ

Translation

സ്വന്തം വർണ്ണത്തിൽപ്പെട്ട സ്ത്രീകളെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കണമെന്നാണ് വിധി. ധർമ്മപരമായ വിവാഹത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ധർമ്മിഷ്ഠരും നൂറുവയസ്സുവരെ ജീവിക്കുന്നവരുമായ പുത്രന്മാർ ജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सवर्णाभिः: with women of the same varṇa
• सवर्णाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—'स्त्रीभिः' इत्यर्थे

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• सर्वाभिः: with all (of them)
• सर्वाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पाणिः: hand (in marriage)
• पाणिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/उद्देश्य), एकवचन

• ग्राह्यः: to be taken/should be accepted
• ग्राह्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-योग्यतावाचक (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), पुनरुक्त-विशेषार्थक

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिः: rule/ordinance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धर्म्ये: in a righteous (context)
• धर्म्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विवाहे: in marriage
• विवाहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जायन्ते: are born
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• धर्म्याः: righteous
• धर्म्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शतायुषः: having a hundred-year lifespan
• शतायुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शतं आयुः यस्य) इत्यर्थे; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa dharma-narration context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic marriage moment: the groom takes the bride’s hand (pāṇigrahaṇa) before the sacred fire, elders and ṛtviks witnessing; an aura of dharma and auspicious longevity around the couple and imagined future sons.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic marriage (performed according to prescribed norms) is presented as the foundation for righteous, long-lived offspring and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it focuses on gṛhastha-dharma within the Dharmāraṇya teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṇigrahaṇa (the formal taking of the bride’s hand) is affirmed as the proper marriage rite within dharmic parameters.