Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

गन्धर्व उवाच । देवानां चैव सर्वेषां गन्धर्वाणां महामते । परित्यज्य कथं लोके मानुषाणां ददामि वै

Transliteration

gandharva uvāca | devānāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ gandharvāṇāṃ mahāmate | parityajya kathaṃ loke mānuṣāṇāṃ dadāmi vai

Translation

คันธรรพกล่าวว่า “โอ้ท่านผู้มีปัญญาใหญ่ ข้าจะละทิ้งเหล่าเทวะและคันธรรพทั้งปวง แล้วมอบ (นางกัญญาเหล่านี้) ให้แก่มนุษย์ในโลกได้อย่างไร”

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वः: the Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• गन्धर्वाणाम्: of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महती मतिः यस्य’

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having abandoned’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मानुषाणाम्: of humans
• मानुषाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• ददामि: do I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Viśvāvasu (Gandharva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gandharva—ornamented, celestial—speaks with raised palm in refusal; behind him, a celestial retinue; opposite, the envoy stands firm. The emotional center is the Gandharva’s conflicted expression—duty versus command.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva (Viśvāvasu)
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• humans (mānuṣāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is negotiated amid duties and loyalties; even celestial beings question how to align social order with divine demands.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Dharmāraṇya narrative; it focuses on dialogue rather than praising a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records an objection about giving maidens to humans.