Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

संप्राप्तं यौवनं कांतं समाराध्य हरप्रियाम् । तस्मात्कुरु विवाहं मे हृत्स्थं सुखमवाप्नुहि

Transliteration

saṃprāptaṃ yauvanaṃ kāṃtaṃ samārādhya harapriyām | tasmātkuru vivāhaṃ me hṛtsthaṃ sukhamavāpnuhi

Translation

ప్రియుడా, నాకు ఇప్పుడు మనోహర యౌవనం వచ్చింది. హరప్రియా గౌరీని విధివిధానంగా ఆరాధించి, కనుక నా వివాహం జరిపించి, హృదయంలోని ఆనందాన్ని పొందండి।

Word by Word

• संप्राप्तम्: attained
• संप्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (agreeing with ‘यौवनम्’: attained)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (youth)

• कान्तम्: lovely
• कान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (agreeing with ‘यौवनम्’: lovely)

• समाराध्य: having propitiated
• समाराध्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having propitiated/worshipped’

• हरप्रियाम्: Hara's beloved (Pārvatī)
• हरप्रियाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरस्य प्रिया = beloved of Hara/Śiva); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया विभक्ति

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मात् (ablatival particle: therefore)

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative: do/perform)

• विवाहम्: marriage
• विवाहम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया विभक्ति (marriage)

• मे: for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (enclitic: my/for me)

• हृत्स्थम्: heart-abiding
• हृत्स्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत् + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था धातु)
• Form: समास: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (हृदि स्थितम् = situated in the heart); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (agreeing with ‘सुखम्’)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया विभक्ति (happiness)

• अवाप्नुहि: obtain
• अवाप्नुहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative: obtain)

Speaker

The daughter (addressing her father/guardian in the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The heroine declares her readiness for marriage, citing her worship of Harapriyā (Gaurī) as qualification, and asks her father to arrange the wedding so he may attain heartfelt joy.

Characters & Entities

• Hara
• Harapriyā (Gaurī/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly milestones are to be grounded in devotion—propitiation of the Divine (Gaurī) is presented as the auspicious basis for marriage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Tīrthamāhātmya frames the story around a sacred water-body and its renown; this verse highlights devotion to Gaurī as the cause behind the blessing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana (devotional worship/propitiation) of Harapriyā (Gaurī) is referenced as the religious act leading to auspicious results.