Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा प्रयत्नेन श्राद्धे यज्ञे च पार्थिव । कन्यादाने विशेषेण योज्यश्चाष्टकुलोद्भवः

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā prayatnena śrāddhe yajñe ca pārthiva | kanyādāne viśeṣeṇa yojyaścāṣṭakulodbhavaḥ

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഇതറിഞ്ഞ് ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മത്തിലും യജ്ഞകർമ്മത്തിലും, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കന്യാദാനസമയത്തും, പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ അഷ്ടകുലോദ്ഭവ ബ്രാഹ്മണനെയേ നിയോഗിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (Locative singular)

• यज्ञे: in/at the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative) एकवचन

• कन्यादाने: in the giving of a maiden (kanyādāna)
• कन्यादाने: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental used adverbially: “especially”)

• योज्यः: should be employed/appointed
• योज्यः: Kārya/vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु) + यत् (योज्य)
• Form: कृदन्त विशेषण; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• अष्टकुलोद्भवः: one born of eight lineages
• अष्टकुलोद्भवः: Karta/Viśeṣya (Subject/predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टकुलात् उद्भवः = born from eight families)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king) addressed as ‘pārthiva’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar (vedi) prepared; a king consults a sage; an Aṣṭakula brāhmaṇa is respectfully invited for śrāddha/yajña; kanyādāna context hinted by bridal symbols in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭakulodbhava
• Śrāddha
• Yajña
• Kanyādāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit depends not only on the act but also on proper procedure and qualified officiants; careful adherence is praised as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a ritual instruction within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the verse does not name a single tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage an Aṣṭakulodbhava Brāhmaṇa particularly for śrāddha, yajña, and most importantly for kanyādāna.