Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सहोभौ चरतां धर्मं प्राजापत्यः स ईरितः । वरवध्वोः स्वेच्छय्रा च गांधर्वोऽन्योन्यमैत्रतः । प्रसह्य कन्याहरणाद्राक्षसो निन्दितः सताम्

Transliteration

sahobhau caratāṃ dharmaṃ prājāpatyaḥ sa īritaḥ | varavadhvoḥ svecchayrā ca gāṃdharvo'nyonyamaitrataḥ | prasahya kanyāharaṇādrākṣaso ninditaḥ satām

Translation

ଯେଉଁ ବିବାହରେ ବର-ବଧୂ ଉଭୟେ ସହିତେ ଧର୍ମାଚରଣ କରନ୍ତି, ସେହି ‘ପ୍ରାଜାପତ୍ୟ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ। ବର-ବଧୂଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱେଚ୍ଛା ଓ ପରସ୍ପର ପ୍ରେମ-ମୈତ୍ରୀରୁ ଯେ ‘ଗାନ୍ଧର୍ବ’ ବିବାହ। ବଳପୂର୍ବକ କନ୍ୟାହରଣରୁ ଯେ ‘ରାକ୍ଷସ’ ବିବାହ, ସେ ସତ୍ଜନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନିନ୍ଦିତ।

Word by Word

• saha: together
• saha: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-निपातः ‘सह’ (=सहितम्)

• ubhau: both (of them)
• ubhau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubha (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• caratām: let them practice / may they follow
• caratām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर, धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्गसदृश), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (आशीर्वाद/विधि)

• dharmam: dharma
• dharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• prājāpatyaḥ: the Prājāpatya (form of marriage)
• prājāpatyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prājāpatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• saḥ: that (one)
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• īritaḥ: is declared
• īritaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īr (ईर्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘उक्तः/निर्दिष्टः’

• vara-vadhvoḥ: of the bridegroom and the bride
• vara-vadhvoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + vadhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्व) ‘वरश्च वधूश्च’; षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), द्विवचन

• sva-icchayā: by (their) own will
• sva-icchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘स्वस्य इच्छा’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन

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

• gāndharvaḥ: the Gāndharva (form of marriage)
• gāndharvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• anyonyamaitrataḥ: from mutual affection
• anyonyamaitrataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक) + maitrī (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: समास/निर्माणः ‘अन्योन्य-मैत्री’ + तसिल् (ablatival adverb) = ‘-तः’; अव्यय (adverb)

• prasahya: by force / forcibly
• prasahya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√sah (सह, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययप्रयोगः; ‘बलात् कृत्वा’

• kanyā-haraṇāt: from abducting a maiden
• kanyā-haraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + haraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √hṛ धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘कन्यायाः हरणम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• rākṣasaḥ: the Rākṣasa (form of marriage)
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ninditaḥ: is condemned
• ninditaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nind (निन्द्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘निन्दितः’

• satām: by the good (people)
• satām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

Speaker

Parāśara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three vignettes: (1) Prājāpatya—couple walking together with a dharma-banner, elders blessing; (2) Gāndharva—mutual garlanding in a grove; (3) Rākṣasa—abduction scene shown in shadowed tones with onlookers expressing disapproval, emphasizing condemnation rather than spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma honors consent, mutual duty, and virtue; coercion in marriage is censured by the righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on moral classification of marriage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Definitions: Prājāpatya (joint dharma), Gāndharva (mutual choice), and rejection of Rākṣasa (abduction).