Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

गन्धर्व उवाच । देवानां चैव सर्वेषां गन्धर्वाणां महामते । परित्यज्य कथं लोके मानुषाणां ददामि वै

Transliteration

gandharva uvāca | devānāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ gandharvāṇāṃ mahāmate | parityajya kathaṃ loke mānuṣāṇāṃ dadāmi vai

Translation

Gandharva nói: “Hỡi bậc đại trí, làm sao ta có thể bỏ các Deva và toàn thể Gandharva mà đem (những thiếu nữ này) gả cho loài người trong thế gian?”

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वः: the Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• गन्धर्वाणाम्: of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महती मतिः यस्य’

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having abandoned’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मानुषाणाम्: of humans
• मानुषाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• ददामि: do I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Viśvāvasu (Gandharva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gandharva—ornamented, celestial—speaks with raised palm in refusal; behind him, a celestial retinue; opposite, the envoy stands firm. The emotional center is the Gandharva’s conflicted expression—duty versus command.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva (Viśvāvasu)
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• humans (mānuṣāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is negotiated amid duties and loyalties; even celestial beings question how to align social order with divine demands.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Dharmāraṇya narrative; it focuses on dialogue rather than praising a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records an objection about giving maidens to humans.