Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अर्वाक्छिलाक्रमणतो निष्ठा स्यात्सप्तमे पदे । इति व्यवस्य प्रददावन्यस्मै तां द्विजः सुताम्

Transliteration

arvākchilākramaṇato niṣṭhā syātsaptame pade | iti vyavasya pradadāvanyasmai tāṃ dvijaḥ sutām

Translation

ସେ ଏଭଳି ନିଷ୍ପତ୍ତି କଲା— “ଶିଳାକ୍ରମଣ ପୂର୍ବରୁ; କାରଣ ସପ୍ତମ ପଦରେ ହିଁ ବନ୍ଧନ ଦୃଢ଼ ହୁଏ।” ଏହିପରି ଠାରୁ ଦ୍ୱିଜ ନିଜ କନ୍ୟାକୁ ଅନ୍ୟଜନଙ୍କୁ ଦେଲା।

Word by Word

• arvāk: downwards/below
• arvāk: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: arvāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशावाचक) = below/downwards

• śilākramaṇataḥ: from stepping on a stone
• śilākramaṇataḥ: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilā + kramaṇa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case) एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (śilāyāḥ kramaṇam); ‘-taḥ’ = from/by reason of

• niṣṭhā: certainty/fixity (conclusion)
• niṣṭhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन

• syāt: would be/should be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saptame: in the seventh
• saptame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case) एकवचन; ‘pade’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• pade: step/footing
• pade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case) एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Vacana-marker (Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• vyavasya: having decided
• vyavasya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-√so (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘व्यवस्य’ = having resolved/decided

• pradadāva: gave away
• pradadāva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; प्र-उपसर्ग

• anyasmai: to another (man)
• anyasmai: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th case) एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन

• dvijaḥ: the Brahmin
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन

• sutām: daughter
• sutām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन; ‘ताम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa father, having decided on the basis of ‘the bond is firm at the seventh step’, formally gives his daughter’s hand to another groom; ritual fire and attendants are suggested, but the emphasis is on the decision before the rite is sealed.

Characters & Entities

• dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites have defined dharmic thresholds; decisions affecting lives should respect both śāstra and ethical responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse alludes to the marriage rite’s ‘seventh step’ (saptapadī) as a marker of finality.