Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कन्यादानं च यः कुर्याद्विद्यादानमथापि वा । गोमत्याः संगमे स्नात्वा याति ब्रह्मपदं नरः

Transliteration

kanyādānaṃ ca yaḥ kuryādvidyādānamathāpi vā | gomatyāḥ saṃgame snātvā yāti brahmapadaṃ naraḥ

Translation

যে ব্যক্তি কন্যাদান করে, অথবা বিদ্যাদানও করে—গোমতীর সঙ্গমে স্নান করে সে ব্রহ্মপদ লাভ করে।

Word by Word

• कन्यादानम्: gift of a maiden (kanyā-dāna)
• कन्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विद्यादानम्: gift of knowledge/education
• विद्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विद्यायाः दानम्)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: then/now)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• गोमत्याः: of the Gomati (river)
• गोमत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• संगमे: at the confluence
• संगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मपदम्: the state/abode of Brahman
• ब्रह्मपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः पदम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomātī-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Dvārakā-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank after snāna, a teacher hands palm-leaf manuscripts to a student (vidyā-dāna) while a wedding rite proceeds nearby (kanyā-dāna); the confluence and temple spires frame the scene, suggesting ascent to brahmapada.

Characters & Entities

• Gomātī
• Brahmapada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

High dharmic gifts—family responsibility (kanyādāna) and wisdom-sharing (vidyādāna)—gain liberating potency when sanctified by tīrtha-bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomātī-saṅgama connected to Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Gomātī-saṅgama, along with kanyādāna or vidyādāna.