Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

येनात्र दुहिता दत्ता प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । तेन सर्वमिदं दत्तं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्

Transliteration

yenātra duhitā dattā prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī | tena sarvamidaṃ dattaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram

Translation

مَن قدّم هنا ابنته عطيةً مقدّسةً (كَنْيادانا)، وهي أعزّ من أنفاس الحياة، فكأنما قد وهب بفعله العوالم الثلاثة كلّها، بما فيها المتحرّك والساكن.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) एकवचनम्; relative-instrumental singular (by which)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; agrees with ‘दुहिता’

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (one's) lives
• प्राणेभ्यः: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) बहुवचनम्; ablative plural

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• गरीयसी: more precious/greater
• गरीयसी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; तुलनात्मक-रूपम् (comparative)

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular (thereby/with that)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; here accusative singular qualifying ‘इदम्’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• दत्तम्: (is) given
• दत्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; predicative with ‘इदम्’

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• सचराचरम्: with all moving and unmoving beings
• सचराचरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (चर + अचर) ‘with the moving and the unmoving’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; qualifies ‘त्रैलोक्यम्’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the serene bank of the Revā, a father performs kanyādāna: the bride’s hand placed into the groom’s, sacred fire blazing, priests reciting mantras; the river glimmers behind, suggesting the ‘three worlds’ as a cosmic backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kanyādāna is portrayed as an unsurpassed offering—symbolically equivalent to giving the whole cosmos—because one gives what is most precious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is singled out in the verse; the statement functions as a general dharma-eulogy within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act praised is kanyādāna—formally giving the daughter in marriage as a dharmic gift.