Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

प्रयच्छैनां मम ब्रह्मन्पत्न्यर्थं निज कन्यकाम् । यथात्मा पोषयिष्यामि भोजनाच्छादनादिभिः

Transliteration

prayacchaināṃ mama brahmanpatnyarthaṃ nija kanyakām | yathātmā poṣayiṣyāmi bhojanācchādanādibhiḥ

Translation

“ข้าแต่พราหมณ์มุนี โปรดประทานธิดาของท่านแก่ข้าพเจ้าเพื่อเป็นภรรยา ข้าพเจ้าจะอุปถัมภ์นางดุจอาตมันของตน ด้วยอาหาร เครื่องนุ่งห่ม และสิ่งจำเป็นทั้งปวง”

Word by Word

• प्रयच्छ: give (you)
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एनाम्: this (girl)
• एनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• पत्न्यर्थम्: for (my) wifehood, as a wife
• पत्न्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पत्नी-अर्थम् = पत्न्यै अर्थः इति चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (purpose)

• निज: your own
• निज: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कन्यकाम् इति विशेष्य)

• कन्यकाम्: daughter/maiden
• कन्यकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/Result)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उद्देश्यवाचक-अव्यय (so that/as)

• आत्मा: I (myself)
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अत्र ‘अहम्’ अर्थे)

• पोषयिष्यामि: will nourish/support
• पोषयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पुष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भोजन: food
• भोजन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• आच्छादन: clothing/covering
• आच्छादन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + √छद् (धातु) + ल्युट् → आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• आदिभिः: and the like
• आदिभिः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = etc., with instrumental plural

Speaker

First-person narrator within the episode (the suitor addressing the sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful suitor addresses a Brahman-sage with folded hands, requesting the maiden in marriage and promising lifelong maintenance—depicted with calm solemnity and ritual propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (sage)
• Patnī (wife)
• Kanyā (daughter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is framed as a dharmic vow of protection and provision, not merely personal desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; this line focuses on gṛhastha-dharma rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies the kanyādāna framework (requesting the maiden for marriage), though the rite is not described in detail here.