Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तां रूपलक्षणोपेतां बालां द्वादशहायनाम् । ययाचे पद्मनाभाख्यो मृतदारश्च स द्विजः

Transliteration

tāṃ rūpalakṣaṇopetāṃ bālāṃ dvādaśahāyanām | yayāce padmanābhākhyo mṛtadāraśca sa dvijaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਰੂਪ ਤੇ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਲੱਛਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਯੁਕਤ, ਬਾਰਾਂ ਵਰ੍ਹਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਬਾਲਾ ਨੂੰ ਪਦਮਨਾਭ ਨਾਮਕ ਦਵਿਜ—ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਮਰ ਚੁੱਕੀ ਸੀ—ਵਿਆਹ ਲਈ ਮੰਗਣ ਆਇਆ।

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that girl
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रूपलक्षणोपेताम्: endowed with beauty and auspicious marks
• रूपलक्षणोपेताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + लक्षण + उपेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ (इण्) + उपसर्ग उप, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उपेत’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

• बालाम्: the girl
• बालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वादशहायनाम्: twelve-year-old
• द्वादशहायनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + हायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘द्वादश-हायन’ = द्वादश वर्षाणि यस्याः (age-qualifier)

• ययाचे: begged/asked for
• ययाचे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √याच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पद्मनाभाख्यः: (one) named Padmanābha
• पद्मनाभाख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मनाभ + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘-आख्य’ = ‘named’

• मृतदारः: whose wife was dead (widower)
• मृतदारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मृत-दार’ = मृताः दाराः यस्य (wife dead)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजः: a Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden of auspicious marks stands in a domestic courtyard; the twice-born Padmanābha, a widower, formally requests her hand; elders observe with mixed calculation and propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Padmanābha
• Śāradā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative sets up a chain of karmic and dharmic consequences through ordinary social decisions like marriage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied social rite (vivāha/marriage) appears, but no specific ritual procedure is detailed here.