Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अधोजातिसमुद्भूता सच्छूद्रात्क्रमहीनजा । विवाहो दशधा तेषां दशधा पुत्रता भवेत्

Transliteration

adhojātisamudbhūtā sacchūdrātkramahīnajā | vivāho daśadhā teṣāṃ daśadhā putratā bhavet

Translation

అధోజాతులలో పుట్టినవారికీ, సద్శూద్రుని నుండి కూడా క్రమభ్రష్టంగా జన్మించినవారికీ వివాహం దశవిధమని చెప్పబడింది; అలాగే పుత్రత్వమూ దశవిధమవుతుంది।

Word by Word

• अधोजातिसमुद्भूता: born from a lower caste
• अधोजातिसमुद्भूता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधो (अव्यय) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + उद् + भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) 'समुद्भूत'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (अधो-जाति-समुद्भूता = 'born from a lower caste')

• सच्छूद्रात्: from a good śūdra
• सच्छूद्रात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय

• क्रमहीनजा: born without proper rite/order
• क्रमहीनजा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक) + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (क्रमेण हीना = 'lacking proper order/rite' + जा 'born')

• विवाहः: marriage
• विवाहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दशधा: tenfold/in ten ways
• दशधा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दशधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb) 'in ten ways'

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दशधा: tenfold
• दशधा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दशधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• पुत्रता: sonship/status as son
• पुत्रता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (abstract noun)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a sage/king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An instructive assembly: a teacher/sage explaining categories with a manuscript, listeners seated; symbolic panels showing different marriage forms and corresponding sons as schematic vignettes.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text frames social and familial arrangements through codified categories, emphasizing order and dharma in household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A classification is introduced: ten kinds of marriage and ten kinds of sonship.