Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तदीयपूर्तधर्मस्य चिह्नेन न यदंकितम् । कन्यादानानि बहुधा ब्राह्मेण विधिना व्यधात्

Transliteration

tadīyapūrtadharmasya cihnena na yadaṃkitam | kanyādānāni bahudhā brāhmeṇa vidhinā vyadhāt

Translation

Kein Ort blieb unberührt von den Zeichen seiner öffentlichen Werke des Dharma. Auf vielerlei Weise vollzog er die Kanyādāna—die Gabe der Jungfrau zur Ehe—nach dem Brāhma-Ritus.

Word by Word

• तदीयपूर्तधर्मस्य: of his charitable/public-works duty
• तदीयपूर्तधर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तदीय (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तदीयः पूर्तधर्मः)

• चिह्नेन: by a mark/sign
• चिह्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• यत्: which (thing/place)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: 'which/that')

• अंकितम्: marked, inscribed
• अंकितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्क् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• कन्यादानानि: gifts of maidens (kanyā-dāna)
• कन्यादानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (कन्यायाः दानम्)

• बहुधा: in many ways, repeatedly
• बहुधा: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ब्राह्मेण: by the Brāhma (Brahma-prescribed)
• ब्राह्मेण: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विधिना) ‘according to Brahma/Brāhma (rite)’

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

• व्यधात्: he performed/arranged
• व्यधात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two intercut scenes: (1) public works—wells, tanks, rest-houses bearing royal marks; (2) a brāhma wedding rite—fire altar, Vedic priests, the bride’s hand being given with water-pot and mantras, the king as patron ensuring proper rites.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Brāhma-vidhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes both public welfare (pūrta) and household rites—charity and social responsibility sanctify a kingdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse highlights widespread dharmic infrastructure and ritual gifting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyādāna performed by the Brāhma rite (brāhma-vidhi), a dharmic form of marriage-gifting.