Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

पूर्वं दत्ता स्वयं देव जानकी जनकेन वै । मया प्रदत्ता देवेश रुक्मिणी तव केशव

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ dattā svayaṃ deva jānakī janakena vai | mayā pradattā deveśa rukmiṇī tava keśava

Translation

กาลก่อน โอ้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ชนกได้มอบชานกีด้วยตนเอง. ฉันใดก็ฉันนั้น โอ้จอมเทพ ข้าพเจ้าขอมอบรุกมินีแด่พระองค์ โอ้เคศวะ.

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: ‘formerly/earlier’)

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: ‘oneself’)

• देव: O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• जानकी: Jānakī (Sītā)
• जानकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जनकेन: by Janaka
• जनकेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रदत्ता: given (handed over)
• प्रदत्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवेश: O lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• केशव: O Keśava
• केशव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Rukma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rukma speaks diplomatically, citing Janaka’s giving of Jānakī as precedent, then acknowledges giving Rukmiṇī to Keśava—restoring order after conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Rukma
• Keśava (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Rukmiṇī
• Jānakī (Sītā)
• Janaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by rightful giving and consent—marriage is framed as a sacred, accountable act aligned to divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse references Itihāsa figures (Sītā–Janaka) to validate dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly points to kanyādāna (giving the bride) as a dhārmic act, though no procedural details are stated here.