Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

गोभूतिलहिरण्याश्वदीपान्नांबरभूषणम् । कन्यादानं प्रयत्नेन सप्ततंतूननेकशः

Transliteration

gobhūtilahiraṇyāśvadīpānnāṃbarabhūṣaṇam | kanyādānaṃ prayatnena saptataṃtūnanekaśaḥ

Translation

تصدّقوا بالبقر والأرض والسمسم والذهب والخيل والمصابيح والطعام والملابس والحُليّ؛ وباجتهادٍ أتمّوا كَنْيادانا (هبة العذراء)، وقدّموا عطايا كثيرة أخرى كالأقمشة المنسوجة من سبعة خيوط على صورٍ شتّى.

Word by Word

• गो: cow
• गो: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (feminine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• भू: land
• भू: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (feminine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• तिल: sesame
• तिल: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• हिरण्य: gold
• हिरण्य: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• दीप: lamp
• दीप: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अम्बर: garment, cloth
• अम्बर: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• भूषणम्: ornament; adornment (as gifts)
• भूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम् (singular)

• कन्यादानम्: giving a maiden in marriage
• कन्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + दान (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कन्यायाः दानम् (gift of a maiden)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (numeral adjective: seven) (in compound)

• तन्तून्: threads (lineages)
• तन्तून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• अनेकशः: in many ways; repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in many ways/many times)

Speaker

Viṣṇu (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (dāna-kṣetra within Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśīkhaṇḍa audience (pilgrimage instruction mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī charity scene: donors offer cows and gold to brāhmaṇas, distribute food and garments to pilgrims, place lamps along ghāṭa steps, and present textiles; the atmosphere is bustling yet sacred.

Characters & Entities

• dāna (charity)
• kanyā-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by generosity—dāna in a sacred place becomes a powerful expression of purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Kāśī’s tīrtha context (Māṇikarṇikā-centered adhyāya), emphasizing dharma there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Multiple forms of dāna: cows, land, sesame, gold, horses, lamps, food, clothing, ornaments, and kanyā-dāna.