Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कन्यां ब्राह्मेण विधिना दत्त्वा कोटिगुणं फलम् । सर्वदानं कोटिगुणं कोटितीर्थे भवेद्यतः

Transliteration

kanyāṃ brāhmeṇa vidhinā dattvā koṭiguṇaṃ phalam | sarvadānaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ koṭitīrthe bhavedyataḥ

Translation

Wer eine Jungfrau nach dem brāhmanischen Ritus zur Ehe hingibt, erlangt eine Frucht, die sich zehnmillionenfach vermehrt. Wahrlich, in Koṭitīrtha wird jede Gabe und jedes Almosen zehnmillionenfach fruchtbar.

Word by Word

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मेण: by the brāhma (Brahmā-prescribed)
• ब्राह्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण; ‘ब्राह्म’ (ब्राह्म-विवाह/ब्राह्म-रीति)

• विधिना: by the procedure/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दत्त्वा (कृदन्त; √दा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √दा (to give)

• कोटिगुणम्: crore-fold
• कोटिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-गुण (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + गुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वदानम्: all giving/charity
• सर्वदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-दान (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कोटिगुणम्: crore-fold
• कोटिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-गुण (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + गुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• कोटितीर्थे: at Koṭitīrtha
• कोटितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• भवेत्: would become/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal: because/for)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Brāhma-vidhi wedding donation at Koṭitīrtha: the bride’s father offers the maiden with water-pouring (udaka-dāna), Vedic fire nearby; alongside, pilgrims give alms—showing ‘all dāna becomes koṭi-guṇa’ at this place.

Characters & Entities

• Koṭitīrtha
• Brāhma (marriage rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly performed dharma—especially giving and marriage-gifting—gains extraordinary potency when done at a sanctified tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, where all forms of dāna are said to yield multiplied merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyā-dāna conducted according to the Brāhma rite, and charitable giving (sarva-dāna) at Koṭitīrtha.