Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

येन चीर्णेन भर्त्ता स्यात्सुसौम्यः सद्गुणान्वितः । प्रियंवदो मुखप्रेक्षः परनारीपराङ्मुखः

Transliteration

yena cīrṇena bharttā syātsusaumyaḥ sadguṇānvitaḥ | priyaṃvado mukhaprekṣaḥ paranārīparāṅmukhaḥ

Translation

येन चीर्णेन भर्त्ता स्यात्सुसौम्यः सद्गुणान्वितः। प्रियंवदो मुखप्रेक्षः परनारीपराङ्मुखः॥

Word by Word

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = by which

• cīrṇena: by (it) being practiced/observed
• cīrṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √car (चर्) (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = by (a) practiced/observed (vow/rite)

• bhartā: husband
• bhartā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = husband

• syāt: may become
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् = may be/become

• su-saumyaḥ: very gentle
• su-saumyaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय-उपसर्गसदृश) + saumya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः = very gentle/pleasant

• sat-guṇa-anvitaḥ: endowed with virtues
• sat-guṇa-anvitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त, √i इ + anu)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सद्गुणैः अन्वितः) = endowed with good qualities

• priyaṃ-vadaḥ: sweet-spoken
• priyaṃ-vadaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priyam (प्रातिपदिक) + vada (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from √vad वद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः = speaking pleasantly

• mukha-prekṣaḥ: face-gazing, attentive
• mukha-prekṣaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + prekṣa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from √īkṣ ईक्ष् with pra)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः = looking at the face (i.e., respectful/attentive)

• para-nārī-parāṅ-mukhaḥ: turned away from other women
• para-nārī-parāṅ-mukhaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + nārī (प्रातिपदिक) + parāṅmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (परनारीषु पराङ्मुखः) = averse to other women

Speaker

A householder parent (petitioners) addressing a sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The mother describes the envisioned husband: gentle, handsome, virtuous, sweet-spoken, faithful; the daughter listens shyly, the sage attentive.

Characters & Entities

• bhartā
• sadguṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious marriage in Purāṇic dharma is defined by character—virtue, gentle speech, and fidelity—not merely by status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context that the chapter proceeds to glorify.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for an observance (caryā/vrata) that yields such a spouse; the specific worship is given in the following verses.