Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । विवाहा ब्राह्मदैवार्षाः प्राजापत्यासुरौ तथा । गांधर्वो राक्षसश्चापि पैशाचोष्टम उच्यते

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | vivāhā brāhmadaivārṣāḥ prājāpatyāsurau tathā | gāṃdharvo rākṣasaścāpi paiśācoṣṭama ucyate

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: ‘Bentuk-bentuk perkahwinan dinamakan Brāhma, Daiva, Ārṣa; demikian juga Prājāpatya dan Āsura; serta Gāndharva dan Rākṣasa, dan yang kelapan dikatakan Paiśāca.’

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (said)

• विवाहाः: forms of marriage
• विवाहाः: Karta (Topic/कर्ता-स्थानी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (marriages)

• ब्राह्म: Brāhma
• ब्राह्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Brahma-type)

• दैव: Daiva
• दैव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Daiva-type)

• आर्षाः: Ārṣa
• आर्षाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Ārṣa-type)

• प्राजापत्य: Prājāpatya
• प्राजापत्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Prājāpatya-type)

• असुरौ: Āsura (two?)
• असुरौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (Āsura-type)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (and also/likewise)

• गान्धर्वः: Gāndharva
• गान्धर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Gāndharva-type)

• राक्षसः: Rākṣasa
• राक्षसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Rākṣasa-type)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also)

• पैशाचः: Paiśāca
• पैशाचः: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Paiśāca-type)

• अष्टमः: eighth
• अष्टमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (eighth)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive) (is said/called)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parāśara (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sage (Yudhiṣṭhira) seated in inquiry posture, enumerating eight marriage forms as symbolic vignettes around him (ritual fire, bride-gift, mutual garlanding, forceful abduction, etc.).

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life must be grounded in dharma; even marriage is classified by ethical and ritual standards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is normative dharma within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A classification framework for marriage rites, preparing for the rules (vidhi) of each type.