Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

विवाहसमये प्राप्ते प्रारम्भे वा शृणोति यः । एतदाख्यानमव्यग्रं संपूज्य वृषभध्वजम् । तस्याऽविघ्नं भवेत्सर्वं कर्म वैवाहिकं च यत्

Transliteration

vivāhasamaye prāpte prārambhe vā śṛṇoti yaḥ | etadākhyānamavyagraṃ saṃpūjya vṛṣabhadhvajam | tasyā'vighnaṃ bhavetsarvaṃ karma vaivāhikaṃ ca yat

Translation

വിവാഹസമയം വന്നപ്പോൾ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ആരംഭത്തിൽ, അവ്യഗ്രചിത്തത്തോടെ വൃഷഭധ്വജൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ച് ഈ ആഖ്യാനം ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവന്—എല്ലാ വൈവാഹിക കർമങ്ങളും നിർവിഘ്നമാകും.

Word by Word

• विवाहसमये: at the time of marriage
• विवाहसमये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक) + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विवाहस्य समये

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived/come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) विवाहसमये प्राप्ते

• प्रारम्भे: at the beginning
• प्रारम्भे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रारम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• शृणोति: he hears/listens
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण आख्यानम्

• आख्यानम्: narrative, account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अव्यग्रम्: without distraction, attentive
• अव्यग्रम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण आख्यानम्

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having worshipped’

• वृषभध्वजम्: Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner is a bull)
• वृषभध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य सः (epithet of Śiva)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अविघ्नम्: unobstructed, without hindrance
• अविघ्नम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: may become / will be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण कर्म

• कर्म: rite, act, ceremony
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वैवाहिकम्: pertaining to marriage
• वैवाहिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैवाहिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण कर्म

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever (which)
• यत्: Visheshya (Relative qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative) कर्म इति विशेष्येण

Speaker

Narrative voice (phalaśruti within Sūta’s discourse context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wedding pavilion at commencement; a devotee couple/sponsor listens to a reciter while a Śiva shrine with Nandin and the bull-banner emblem is worshipped; atmosphere of auspicious order and calm focus.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)
• Vivāha (marriage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual success is linked to devotion and attentive listening to sacred history, not merely external ceremony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative (ākhyāna) belongs to the Haravedī/Vṛṣabhadhvaja Māhātmya; its recitation is treated as a protective sacred act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Before or at the start of marriage rites: worship Vṛṣabhadhvaja and listen to this ākhyāna with focused attention to ensure obstacle-free ceremonies.