Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 171

Devanagari script

यो दत्वा कन्यकां पूर्वं पश्चाद्यच्छेन्न दुर्मतिः । स याति नरकं घोरं यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्

Transliteration

yo datvā kanyakāṃ pūrvaṃ paścādyacchenna durmatiḥ | sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam

Translation

ആദ്യം കന്യാദാനം ചെയ്ത് പിന്നെ വീണ്ടും അവളെ തിരികെ പിടിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നവൻ—ആ ദുർമതി ഭൂതസമ്പ്ലവം (പ്രളയം) വരെയും ഭയങ്കര നരകത്തിൽ പതിക്കും।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दत्वा: having given
• दत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• कन्यकाम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्यकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/first
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• यच्छेत्: should give (away)/hand over
• यच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• दुर्मतिः: a wicked-minded person
• दुर्मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (यः इति)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अन्वयार्थक (correlative)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नरकम् इति)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kala-avadhi (Time limit/कालावधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धशब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (until/as long as)

• आभूतसंप्लवम्: the cosmic dissolution (end of beings)
• आभूतसंप्लवम्: Kala-avadhi (Time limit/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + भूत + संप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अवध्यर्थे (यावत् इति सह)

Speaker

Ghaṃṭaka (continuing his argument)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn pronouncement scene: a sage or narrator states the rule; in the background, a symbolic vision of naraka—dark chasm and flames—contrasts with the orderly assembly, underscoring consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gifts and vows—especially involving marriage—must not be revoked; dharma condemns betrayal of pledged responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the teaching is ethical within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly upholds the inviolability of kanyā-dāna once given; no step-by-step ritual is described.