Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

आत्मश्रेणिप्रसूताय वयोज्येष्ठाय भूपते । कन्या देया च धर्माय यशसे कुलवृद्धये

Transliteration

ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya vayojyeṣṭhāya bhūpate | kanyā deyā ca dharmāya yaśase kulavṛddhaye

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา เพื่อธำรงธรรม ให้เกิดเกียรติยศ และให้วงศ์ตระกูลเจริญพูนผล ควรมอบธิดาให้สมรสกับผู้เกิดในตระกูลอันสมควรและมีเกียรติ และมีวัยวุฒิแก่กล้า

Word by Word

• ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya: to (one) born of his own lineage/line
• ātmaśreṇiprasūtāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūta (कृदन्त, √sū/सू प्रसवे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘भूपते’ इत्यस्य

• vayojyeṣṭhāya: to the eldest in age
• vayojyeṣṭhāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक) + jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘भूपते’ इत्यस्य

• bhūpate: O king
• bhūpate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• kanyā: a maiden/daughter
• kanyā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• deyā: to be given
• deyā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) → deyā (कृदन्त, विधेय/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता—‘देया’ = ‘दातव्या/should be given’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dharmāya: for righteousness/dharma
• dharmāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• yaśase: for fame
• yaśase: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• kulavṛddhaye: for the increase of the family/lineage
• kulavṛddhaye: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (Padmaja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: a sage/celestial advisor instructs a king about giving his daughter in marriage to a worthy, mature groom; attendants, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a poised princess in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• the King (bhūpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is a dharmic institution aimed at sustaining righteousness, reputation, and lineage—requiring suitability and maturity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is instructional within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A normative rule for kanyādāna is stated: choose a groom of proper lineage and mature age for dharma, fame, and family continuity.