Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स वल्लभावचः श्रुत्वा धर्मशास्त्राण्यवेक्ष्य च । दत्तामपि हरेत्पूर्वां श्रेयांश्चेद्वर आव्रजेत्

Transliteration

sa vallabhāvacaḥ śrutvā dharmaśāstrāṇyavekṣya ca | dattāmapi haretpūrvāṃ śreyāṃścedvara āvrajet

Translation

ପ୍ରିୟାର କଥା ଶୁଣି ଧର୍ମଶାସ୍ତ୍ର ଦେଖି ସେ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କଲା— “ଯଦି ଅଧିକ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବର ଆସେ, ତେବେ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ଦିଆ କନ୍ୟାକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଫେରାଇ ନିଆଯାଇପାରେ।”

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन

• vallabhāvacaḥ: the beloved’s words
• vallabhāvacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vallabhā + vacas (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vallabhāyāḥ vacaḥ)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having heard

• dharmaśāstrāṇi: treatises on dharma
• dharmaśāstrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + śāstra (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case) बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharmasya śāstrāṇi)

• avekṣya: having examined
• avekṣya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव-उपसर्ग; ‘having examined/considered’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dattām: given (in marriage)
• dattām: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘दत्ता’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘pūrvām’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) = even/also

• haret: should take away
• haret: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pūrvām: the former (one)
• pūrvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन; ‘(कन्यां) पूर्वाम्’ = the former/first (bride)

• śreyān: better
• śreyān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle) = if

• varaḥ: a bridegroom/suitor
• varaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन; कर्ता

• āvrajet: should come/arrive
• āvrajet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; आ-उपसर्ग

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man listens to his beloved’s counsel, then opens or contemplates dharma-śāstra manuscripts, arriving at a firm conclusion; the emotional undertone is possessive urgency masked as legal reasoning.

Characters & Entities

• dharmaśāstra (dharma texts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be discerned with śāstra-guidance and conscience, not merely by social momentum; ‘rightness’ outweighs mere prior arrangement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dharma-legal principle is cited (regarding marriage arrangements), not a ritual like snāna, dāna, or japa.