Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मूढाय च विरक्ताय आत्मसंभाविताय च । आतुराय प्रमत्ताय कन्यादानं न कारयेत्

Transliteration

mūḍhāya ca viraktāya ātmasaṃbhāvitāya ca | āturāya pramattāya kanyādānaṃ na kārayet

Translation

ไม่พึงจัดให้มีการถวายธิดา (กัญญาทาน) แก่คนเขลา แก่ผู้วางเฉยจากโลกีย์ แก่ผู้ถือตัว แก่ผู้เจ็บป่วยทุกข์ร้อน หรือแก่ผู้ประมาทเลินเล่อ

Word by Word

• mūḍhāya: to/for a foolish (man)
• mūḍhāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• viraktāya: to/for a detached (man)
• viraktāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ātma-saṃbhāvitāya: to/for one who esteems himself
• ātma-saṃbhāvitāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman + saṃbhāvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: 'ātmanā saṃbhāvita' = self-conceited/self-regarding

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• āturāya: to/for a sick/distressed (man)
• āturāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pramattāya: to/for a careless/intoxicated (man)
• pramattāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pramatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kanyā-dānam: giving of a maiden (kanyādāna)
• kanyā-dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'kanyāyāḥ dānam'

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• kārayet: should not arrange/perform (cause)
• kārayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) [णिच् causative: kāray-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): 'should cause to be done'

Speaker

Himavān (Himālaya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the narrative frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counsel-verse: Himālaya (or speaker) lists disqualifications for marriage—foolishness, detachment from responsibility, conceit, illness/affliction, recklessness—before sages.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Kanyā-dāna (marriage gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic household safeguards the daughter’s welfare by avoiding irresponsible, unstable, or ego-driven matches.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the teaching is embedded in the Kedārakhaṇḍa Himalayan narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction regarding kanyā-dāna: it should not be performed for certain unfit grooms (mūḍha, virakta, self-conceited, afflicted, reckless).