Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सदृशस्तेन चायातस्तव पार्श्वे सुरोत्तम । तस्मान्मे ब्रूहि भर्त्तारमस्या येन ददाम्यहम्

Transliteration

sadṛśastena cāyātastava pārśve surottama | tasmānme brūhi bharttāramasyā yena dadāmyaham

Translation

“Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dewa, kini yang setara dan sepadan telah datang ke hadiratmu. Maka nyatakanlah kepadaku siapakah suami baginya, agar beta dapat menyerahkannya dalam perkahwinan sebagaimana patut.”

Word by Word

• सदृशः: similar
• सदृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• तेन: with that / thereby
• तेन: Sahakari/Hetu (With that/thereby)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• च: and
• च: None (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• आयातः: has come
• आयातः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (past participle: 'come')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• पार्श्वे: at the side / near
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (Locative, Singular)

• सुरोत्तम: O best of gods
• सुरोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (Vocative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (सुरेषु उत्तमः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (indeclinable in sense 'therefore/from that')

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

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भर्तारम्: husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Of her/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental, Singular)

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

The King (Satyasaṃdha)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, earnest and upright, requests the deity/creator to name the proper husband; the ‘equal suitor’ is implied as present in the assembly; gods look on as witnesses to a dharmic decision.

Characters & Entities

• Sura-uttama (addressed; likely Brahmā in this context)
• Karṇotpalā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Major life duties (like marriage) should be aligned with dharma and guided by higher wisdom, not impulse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not name the tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyādāna is implied as the intended rite, though procedural details are not stated here.