Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

इयं कर्णोत्पलानाम मम कन्या सुशोभना । अस्या भुवि मया लब्धो न समोऽत्र पतिः क्वचित्

Transliteration

iyaṃ karṇotpalānāma mama kanyā suśobhanā | asyā bhuvi mayā labdho na samo'tra patiḥ kvacit

Translation

ഇവൾ കർണോത്പലാ എന്ന പേരുള്ള എന്റെ മനോഹരിയായ പുത്രിയാണ്. അവൾക്കായി ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ എവിടെയും അവൾക്കു തുല്യനായ ഭർത്താവിനെ ഞാൻ കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• कर्णोत्पलानाम: of ear-lotuses (name)
• कर्णोत्पलानाम: Sambandha (Name/epithet relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-उत्पल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्णयोः उत्पलम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle indicating 'named')

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• कन्या: daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• सुशोभना: very beautiful
• सुशोभना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभना (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्गयुक्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Of her/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (Locative, Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• लब्धः: found/obtained
• लब्धः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; कर्तरि/भावे (obtained/found)

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• समः: equal
• समः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: None (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'ever/anywhere')

Speaker

The King (Satyasaṃdha)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king gestures toward his radiant daughter Karṇotpalā in the divine court; she stands modestly with downcast eyes, adorned in royal ornaments; the father speaks of her unmatched suitability.

Characters & Entities

• Karṇotpalā
• Satyasaṃdha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is treated as a dharmic responsibility: a guardian seeks a worthy, equal partner, not merely a convenient match.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the adhyāya’s tīrtha-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets up a request for dharmic counsel regarding marriage.