Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

पिता पितामहो भ्राता सकुल्यो जननी तथा । कन्याप्रदः पूर्वनाशे प्रकृतिस्थः परःपरः

Transliteration

pitā pitāmaho bhrātā sakulyo jananī tathā | kanyāpradaḥ pūrvanāśe prakṛtisthaḥ paraḥparaḥ

Translation

പിതാവ്, പിതാമഹൻ, സഹോദരൻ, ബന്ധുക്കൾ, മാതാവ് എന്നിവർ കന്യാദാനത്തിന് അധികാരികളാണ്. മുൻഗാമികൾ ഇല്ലാത്തപക്ഷം, അടുത്തയാൾ (യോഗ്യനെങ്കിൽ) ആ അധികാരം നിർവ്വഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पितामहः: grandfather
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सकुल्यः: kinsman (of same family)
• सकुल्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (thus/also)

• कन्या-प्रदः: giver of the maiden (in marriage)
• कन्या-प्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्र + दा धातु, कर्तरि 'प्रद')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यां प्रददाति इति)

• पूर्व-नाशे: in the earlier destruction/at the prior loss
• पूर्व-नाशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (पूर्वः नाशः)

• प्रकृति-स्थः: remaining in (one's) natural state
• प्रकृति-स्थः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्था धातु, क्त/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रकृतौ स्थितः)

• परः: supreme/other
• परः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपरः: non-supreme/another (the other)
• अपरः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal assembly: father, grandfather, brother, clan elder, and mother seated in order, with a maiden and a prospective groom; a priest indicates the sequence of authority with a palm-leaf text.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames marriage duties as ordered responsibilities, preserving dharmic continuity through a clear succession of guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a dharma-rule within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s instructional passages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It outlines who may perform kanyādāna, and the order of eligibility when the primary guardian is unavailable.