Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

स्वभावकठिनात्मापि स वरं हिमवान्गिरिः । प्राणाधिक सुता दानाद्यो धिनोद्विश्वनायकम्

Transliteration

svabhāvakaṭhinātmāpi sa varaṃ himavāngiriḥ | prāṇādhika sutā dānādyo dhinodviśvanāyakam

Translation

Though by nature firm and unyielding, that excellent mountain Himavān attained preeminence, for he gave in marriage to the Leader of the universe his daughter dearer than life.

Word by Word

• स्वभाव-कठिन-आत्मा: one whose nature is hard
• स्वभाव-कठिन-आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + कठिन (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—स्वभावेन कठिनः आत्मा यस्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषप्राय)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial: ‘better’)

• हिमवान्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गिरिः: mountain
• गिरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; हिमवान्-गिरिः (apposition)

• प्राणाधिक: dearer than life
• प्राणाधिक: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे विशेषणम् (qualifier of sutā); समासः—प्राणेभ्यः अधिका (तत्पुरुष)

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (contextually object of giving: द्वितीया)

• दानात्: from (the act of) giving
• दानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause/source)

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

• अधिनोत्: gave/handed over
• अधिनोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि+नी (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; अर्थः—‘led/handed over’ (context: gave in marriage)

• विश्वनायकम्: the leader of the universe (Śiva)
• विश्वनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—विश्वस्य नायकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Kārpaṭika

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān, though naturally unyielding, gains superiority by giving his beloved daughter in marriage to Viśvanāyaka; evokes the divine wedding (Śiva-Pārvatī vivāha).

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Pārvatī (implied as prāṇādhika-sutā)
• Śiva (Viśvanāyaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great merit arises from selfless offering; even a ‘hard’ nature becomes spiritually excellent through supreme dāna and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting is Kāśī; this verse supports Śiva’s supremacy (Viśvanāyaka/Viśveśvara) that undergirds Kāśī’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to dāna in the form of giving one’s daughter in marriage (kanyādāna), presented as a highly meritorious act.