Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

न पर्वतर्क्षवृक्षाह्वां न नदीसर्पनामिकाम् । न पक्ष्यहिप्रेष्यनाम्नीं सौम्याख्यामुद्वहेत्सुधीः

Transliteration

na parvatarkṣavṛkṣāhvāṃ na nadīsarpanāmikām | na pakṣyahipreṣyanāmnīṃ saumyākhyāmudvahetsudhīḥ

Translation

智者不应迎娶名为山、熊或树者；亦不娶名为河或蛇者；亦不娶名取鸟、蛇或仆役者——甚至名仅曰“娑弥耶（Saumyā）”者亦不当娶。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• पर्वतर्क्षवृक्षाह्वाम्: named after mountain/bear/tree
• पर्वतर्क्षवृक्षाह्वाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत-ऋक्ष-वृक्ष-आह्वा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (भार्याम्/कन्याम् implied)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• नदीसर्पनामिकाम्: named after river/serpent
• नदीसर्पनामिकाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नदी-सर्प-नामिका (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• पक्ष्यहिप्रेष्यनाम्नीम्: named after bird/snake/servant
• पक्ष्यहिप्रेष्यनाम्नीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्षि-अहि-प्रेष्य-नाम्नी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सौम्याख्याम्: having a gentle name (Sāumyā etc.)
• सौम्याख्याम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य-आख्या (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• उद्वहेत्: should marry
• उद्वहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुधीः: the wise man
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priestly naming/record scene: a manuscript lists categories of names; families discuss auspicious naming and marriage suitability, with symbolic animals/river motifs subtly depicted as ‘to be avoided’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditional dharma texts link household auspiciousness with careful attention to omens, including names, as part of disciplined gṛhastha life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting is Kāśī, but this verse is a general dharma guideline rather than a tirtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition within marriage selection criteria: avoid certain categories of names regarded as inauspicious.