Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

कन्याविवाहसमये वाचयेयुरिति द्विजाः । भर्तुः सहचरी भूयाज्जीवतो ऽजीवतोपि वा

Transliteration

kanyāvivāhasamaye vācayeyuriti dvijāḥ | bhartuḥ sahacarī bhūyājjīvato 'jīvatopi vā

Translation

കന്യാവിവാഹസമയത്ത് ദ്വിജർ അവളോട് ഇങ്ങനെ ചൊല്ലിക്കണം—“ഭർത്താവ് ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുകയോ ഇല്ലാതിരിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്താലും ഞാൻ അവന്റെ സഹചരിയാകട്ടെ।”

Word by Word

• कन्याविवाहसमये: at the time of a maiden's marriage
• कन्याविवाहसमये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विवाह (प्रातिपदिक) + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कन्यायाः विवाहस्य समये)

• वाचयेयुः: should cause (someone) to recite
• वाचयेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाचय् (णिच्) ← वच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: cause to recite)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण-सूचक (quotative)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सहचरी: companion (wife)
• सहचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहचरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भूयात्: may she be
• भूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जीवतः: (of the husband) living
• जीवतः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; भर्तुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अजीवतः: (of the husband) not living/dead
• अजीवतः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + जीवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; भर्तुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunction)

Speaker

Deductively: Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Brāhma Khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wedding pavilion where a priest prompts the bride to recite a vow; sacred fire, garlands, and the solemn moment of spoken commitment are central.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents an ideal of lifelong (and beyond-life) marital companionship as a dharmic vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is about vivāha (marriage) practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A marriage-time recitation (vācana) is prescribed for the bride, framed as a vow of companionship to the husband.