Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

प्रतर्द्दनः काशिपति प्रदाय नयने स्वके । ब्राह्मणायातुलां कीर्तिमिह चामुत्र चाश्नुते

Transliteration

pratarddanaḥ kāśipati pradāya nayane svake | brāhmaṇāyātulāṃ kīrtimiha cāmutra cāśnute

Translation

Pratarddana, Herr von Kāśī, erlangte, indem er einem Brāhmaṇa seine eigenen Augen schenkte, unvergleichlichen Ruhm—hier und im Jenseits.

Word by Word

• प्रतर्द्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्द्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्द्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• काशिपति: king of Kāśī
• काशिपति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशि + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः: काश्याः पतिः (lord of Kāśī)

• प्रदाय: having given
• प्रदाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), उपसर्गः प्र- — Absolutive ‘having given’

• नयने: (his two) eyes
• नयने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Dual

• स्वके: his own
• स्वके: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Dual; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'nayane')

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• अतुलाम्: incomparable
• अतुलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'kīrtim')

• कीर्तिम्: fame
• कीर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here/in this world’

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

• अमुत्र: there (hereafter)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘there/in the other world’

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

• अश्नुते: attains/enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pratarddana, king of Kāśī, in a solemn act of donation, offering his eyes to a brāhmaṇa; the city of Kāśī suggested by ghats/temple spires in the background; a radiant aura of fame extending to heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Pratarddana
• Kāśī
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary charity yields enduring kīrti (glory) across worlds; self-sacrificial giving is praised as high dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is referenced through ‘Kāśipati’; the verse connects Kāśī’s royal exemplar to the purāṇic ideal of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it promotes brāhmaṇa-dāna and the dharmic ideal of giving even what is dearest.