Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । विवाहा ब्राह्म दैवार्षाः प्राजापत्यासुरौ तथा । गांधर्वो राक्षसश्चापि पैशाचोऽष्टम उच्यते

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | vivāhā brāhma daivārṣāḥ prājāpatyāsurau tathā | gāṃdharvo rākṣasaścāpi paiśāco'ṣṭama ucyate

Translation

سکند نے کہا: نکاح/ویواہ کی قسمیں برہما، دیو، آرش، پرجاپتیہ اور آسُر ہیں؛ نیز گاندھرو اور راکشس—اور آٹھواں پَیشاچ کہلاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विवाहाः: marriages (types)
• विवाहाः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मः: Brāhma (type)
• ब्राह्मः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विवाहः)

• दैव: Daiva (type)
• दैव: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विवाहः)

• आर्षाः: Ārṣa (types)
• आर्षाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (विवाहाः)

• प्राजापत्य: Prājāpatya (type)
• प्राजापत्य: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• असुरौ: Āsura (type)
• असुरौ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषण (विवाहौ)

• तथा: and also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• गान्धर्वः: Gāndharva (type)
• गान्धर्वः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• राक्षसः: Rākṣasa (type)
• राक्षसः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also)

• पैशाचः: Paiśāca (type)
• पैशाचः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अष्टमः: the eighth
• अष्टमः: Visheshana (Ordinal/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is called')

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda formally declares the eight marriage types; a visual ‘eightfold wheel’ or eight panels can depict each form: gifting to a learned groom (Brāhma), priestly fee context (Daiva), cattle token (Ārṣa), mutual vow (Prājāpatya), purchase/wealth exchange (Āsura), love union (Gāndharva), abduction in battle (Rākṣasa), clandestine violation (Paiśāca) shown as dark cautionary panel.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Marriage is classified by dharmic quality; tradition distinguishes noble, sanctioned forms from censured ones to safeguard social and spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it is a dharma-categorization within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists marriage forms but does not prescribe a specific ritual act in this verse.