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

By giving a maiden in marriage according to the Brāhma rite, one gains fruit multiplied ten millionfold. Indeed, at Koṭitīrtha every act of charity becomes ten million times more fruitful.

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.