Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अवितेनैव कर्तव्यं कन्योद्वहनकं नृप । कन्यानाम समुच्चार्य न दोषाय कदाचन

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | avitenaiva kartavyaṃ kanyodvahanakaṃ nṛpa | kanyānāma samuccārya na doṣāya kadācana

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: ข้าแต่พระราชา พิธีอภิวาหะของกัญญาพึงกระทำแม้ปราศจากทรัพย์ เมื่อเอ่ยนามกัญญาให้ถูกต้องตามพิธีแล้ว ย่อมไม่เป็นโทษเลย

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• अवितेन: without wealth/with no money
• अवितेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; ‘with lack of wealth/without wealth’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory) ‘to be done’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; impersonal obligation

• कन्योद्वहनकम्: the act of marrying off a daughter
• कन्योद्वहनकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्वहनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (कन्यायाः उद्वहनकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; subject complement to ‘कर्तव्यम्’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचनम्; vocative singular

• कन्यानाम: of maidens/of daughters
• कन्यानाम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; genitive plural

• नाम: names
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; accusative plural; object of ‘समुच्चार्य’

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-चर् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund) ‘having uttered/recited’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• दोषाय: for a fault/to blame
• दोषाय: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचनम्; dative singular (for fault/as a fault)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara, serene and authoritative, instructs the king: a simple marriage rite before the sacred fire, minimal offerings, yet luminous sanctity; the bride’s name is pronounced clearly as a pivotal ritual moment.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Uttānapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not dependent on riches; a sincere, properly performed rite can be valid even in poverty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a dharma ruling within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kanyodvāha (marriage rite) even without wealth; ensure proper ritual recitation such as pronouncing the maiden’s name.