Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्कथं स पतिर्जातस्तवः पुत्रि वदस्व मे

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ sa patirjātastavaḥ putri vadasva me

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, മകളേ, അവൻ എങ്ങനെ നിന്റെ ഭർത്താവായി? എനിക്ക് പറയുക.

Word by Word

• तत्: then; that
• तत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावे 'तत्' = 'तर्हि/तस्मात्' अर्थे

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

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

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); 'जातः (अभवत्)'

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (Singular) (एन्क्लिटिक)

Speaker

Ānarta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ratnāvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king leans forward, questioning his daughter; the court’s attention tightens, anticipating a revelatory account of how husbandhood was established.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• daughter (putrī)
• Daśārṇādhipati (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma invites inquiry and clarification; right action is supported by clear understanding, not confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this interrogative verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it prompts explanation about what constitutes marriage.