Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

कन्याविवाहसमये वाचयेयुरिति द्विजाः । भर्तुः सहचरी भूयाज्जीवतोऽजीवतोपिवा

Transliteration

kanyāvivāhasamaye vācayeyuriti dvijāḥ | bhartuḥ sahacarī bhūyājjīvato'jīvatopivā

Translation

കന്യാവിവാഹസമയത്ത് ദ്വിജർ ഇങ്ങനെ പാരായണം ചെയ്യിക്കണം—“ഭർത്താവ് ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുകയോ ഇല്ലാതിരിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്താലും അവൾ ഭർത്താവിന്റെ സഹചാരിണിയാകട്ടെ।”

Word by Word

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

• वाचयेयुः: should cause to be recited / should recite
• वाचयेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) (णिच् causative: वाचय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (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 relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सहचरी: companion
• सहचरी: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहचरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• जीवतः: of (him) living
• जीवतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present participle): ‘living’

• अजीवतः: of (him) not living (dead)
• अजीवतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + जीवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय; ‘not living/dead’

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

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivāha scene: dvija priests recite, the bride and groom near sacred fire; the key line is visualized as the couple walking together with a subtle shadow motif indicating lifelong companionship.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)
• Dvija (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents an ideal of lifelong companionship and steadfastness as the intended spirit of marriage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teaching environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A marriage-time recitation (vācana) by dvijas is indicated—functioning like a saṃskāra-linked formula or blessing.