Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वैवाहिकी सुरश्रेष्ठ यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभा । ब्रूहि शीघ्रं महाभाग नादेयं विद्यते मम

Transliteration

vaivāhikī suraśreṣṭha yadyapi syātsudurlabhā | brūhi śīghraṃ mahābhāga nādeyaṃ vidyate mama

Translation

ହେ ସୁରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ବୈବାହିକ ଦକ୍ଷିଣା ଯଦି ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ ହେଉଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ, ହେ ମହାଭାଗ, ଶୀଘ୍ର କହ; ମୋ ପାଖରେ ଅଦେୟ କିଛି ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• वैवाहिकी: the wedding (gift/fee)
• वैवाहिकी: कर्ता/विषय (Topic/subject of clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवाहिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'wedding(-related) (dakṣiṇā)' (elliptic)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) = सुर + श्रेष्ठ (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — 'O best of gods'

• यद्यपि: although
• यद्यपि: सम्बन्ध (Concessive connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive particle) — 'although'

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'may be/would be'

• सुदुर्लभा: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक) = सु + दुर्लभ (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'very hard to obtain'

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — 'tell (me)'

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकार) — 'quickly'

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + भाग (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — 'O fortunate one'

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — 'not'

• आदेयम्: anything to be accepted
• आदेयम्: कर्ता (Subject of vidyate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'something to be taken/accepted'

• विद्यते: exists
• विद्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — 'exists/is found'

• मम: for me/of me
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — 'of me/for me'

Speaker

Tripurāntaka (Śiva) (continuation of address to Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks with confident tenderness, assuring Brahmā that even an exceedingly rare ‘wedding-fee’ can be granted; attendants hold treasures, cloth, and ritual gifts; the atmosphere is resolute and generous.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Brahmā (listener implied)
• vaivāhika-dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma includes generosity and honoring sacred obligations—portrayed here as limitless willingness to give.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the chapter’s tīrtha narrative; the location remains implicit in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The obligation to provide appropriate vaivāhika dakṣiṇā (wedding-related honorarium) after the rite.