Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

संति दानान्यनेकानि किं तैस्तुच्छ फलप्रदैः । अभीति दानसदृशं परमेकमपीह न

Transliteration

saṃti dānānyanekāni kiṃ taistuccha phalapradaiḥ | abhīti dānasadṛśaṃ paramekamapīha na

Translation

Es gibt viele Arten von Gaben, doch wozu taugen jene, die nur geringe Früchte spenden? Hier gibt es nicht eine Gabe, die dem höchsten Geschenk der Furchtlosigkeit (abhaya) gleichkäme.

Word by Word

• santi: there are
• santi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dānāni: gifts, charities
• dānāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dānāni-विशेषण)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• taiḥ: by/with those
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• tuccha: trifling, paltry
• tuccha: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (phala-विशेषण, समासपूर्वपद)

• phalapradaiḥ: giving results
• phalapradaiḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (taiḥ-सम्बद्ध); फल-प्रद = फलम् प्रददाति इति

• abhīti: fearlessness
• abhīti: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + bhīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक

• dāna-sadṛśam: comparable to (true) giving
• dāna-sadṛśam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (paramekam-विशेषण); दानस्य सदृशम्

• parama: supreme
• parama: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (ekam-विशेषण)

• ekam: one (thing)
• ekam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• iha: here (in this world)
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A benefactor in Kāśī offers refuge: calming a frightened being (human/animal), stopping violence, and assuring safety; other gifts (coins, grain) appear secondary in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Abhīti (fearlessness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among charities, the highest is protecting beings and removing fear—abhaya/abhīti-dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though this verse itself praises a universal dharma rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It elevates a practice: giving fearlessness—offering protection, refuge, and non-harm—over merely material donations.