Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततस्तामर्पयामास तां कन्यां स महीपतिः । कृत्वाग्निं साक्षिणं वाक्याद्ब्राह्मणानां द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatastāmarpayāmāsa tāṃ kanyāṃ sa mahīpatiḥ | kṛtvāgniṃ sākṣiṇaṃ vākyādbrāhmaṇānāṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ മഹീപതി ആ കന്യയെ അവനു സമർപ്പിച്ചു. ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ ഉപദേശപ്രകാരം അഗ്നിയെ സാക്ഷിയായി വെച്ച് വിധിപൂർവ്വം കർമ്മം നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनुक्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'then/from there')

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अर्पयामास: offered/gave
• अर्पयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्पय (√अर्प् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; परिपूर्णक्रिया

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कन्याम्: daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ताम् इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्य

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (महेः/महीयाः पतिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having made'

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• साक्षिणम्: as witness
• साक्षिणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-सम्बन्धे (as object complement to अग्निम्)

• वाक्यात्: by the instruction/word
• वाक्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतुवाचक (because of/from the word)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject—implied speakers/agents/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal wedding rite: the king offers the maiden to Kāma; sacred fire blazes as witness; brāhmaṇas chant mantras, holding ladles and kusa grass.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīpati (king)
• Agni
• Brāhmaṇas (Dvijottama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by performing life-sacraments with proper witnesses and guidance, aligning personal life with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is reinforced by describing dhārmic rites occurring in its narrative setting, leading to the site’s later renown.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vivāha is performed with Agni as sākṣin (witness), under brāhmaṇa guidance—an explicit ritual framing.