Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आर्षे विवाहे गोद्वंद्वं यदुक्तं तत्र शस्यते । शुल्कमण्वपि कन्यायाः कन्याविक्रयपापकृत्

Transliteration

ārṣe vivāhe godvaṃdvaṃ yaduktaṃ tatra śasyate | śulkamaṇvapi kanyāyāḥ kanyāvikrayapāpakṛt

Translation

ആർഷവിവാഹത്തിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന പശുക്കളുടെ ജോടി അവിടെ പ്രശംസനീയവും അംഗീകര്യവും ആകുന്നു. എന്നാൽ കന്യയ്ക്കായി അല്പമെങ്കിലും ശുല്കം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നത് കന്യാവിക്രയപാപം വരുത്തും.

Word by Word

• आर्षे: in the Ārṣa (type)
• आर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (locative qualifier)

• विवाहे: in the marriage (rite)
• विवाहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• गो: cow
• गो: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• द्वन्द्वम्: a pair (of cows)
• द्वन्द्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'गो-द्वन्द्वम्' इति समासः (गो + द्वन्द्व)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: is said
• उक्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that context
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शस्यते: is recommended/praised
• शस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शुल्कम्: bride-price/fee
• शुल्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अणु: even a little
• अणु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (particle)

• कन्यायाः: of a maiden/daughter
• कन्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• कन्या: maiden/daughter
• कन्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• विक्रय: sale
• विक्रय: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासमध्यपदम्

• पापकृत्: a doer of sin/sinful
• पापकृत्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) (कृदन्त: कृत्)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; 'पापं करोति' इति; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa dharma-narration context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic marriage setting: sacred fire, bride and groom, elders; a pair of cows presented as āṛṣa-gift, while a rejected pile of coins symbolizes forbidden bride-price.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is a sacred saṃskāra, not a transaction; monetizing it is condemned as moral wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is on marriage classification and ethics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It permits the traditional go-dvaṃdva (pair of cows) in Ārṣa vivāha while forbidding any bride-price (śulka).