Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अनर्हाय च यो दद्या द्वराय निजकन्यकाम् । कार्यकारणलोभेन नरकं स प्रगच्छति

Transliteration

anarhāya ca yo dadyā dvarāya nijakanyakām | kāryakāraṇalobhena narakaṃ sa pragacchati

Translation

“Ngunit sinumang magbigay ng sariling anak na babae sa lalaking di karapat-dapat—dahil sa kasakiman sa pakinabang o lihim na layon—siya’y mapapasa-impiyerno.”

Word by Word

• अनर्हाय: to an unworthy (man)
• अनर्हाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/Dative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to an unworthy person)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• वराय: to a bridegroom
• वराय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्

• निजकन्यकाम्: his own daughter
• निजकन्यकाम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (own + daughter)

• कार्यकारणलोभेन: through greed for some purpose/pretext
• कार्यकारणलोभेन: करण (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (kārya-kāraṇa-lobha: greed for (some) purpose/reason)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: कर्म (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• प्रगच्छति: goes to / reaches
• प्रगच्छति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (episode context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: the king visualizes the consequence—on one side a greedy exchange of gifts; on the other, a dark naraka vision with messengers; the king recoils and resolves to act righteously.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must govern marriage decisions; greed-driven alliances that ignore worthiness bring grave karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it teaches social-ethical dharma within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly concerns kanyādāna, emphasizing eligibility and purity of intention rather than detailing a rite.