Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यः कन्यार्थं ततो लब्ध्वा भिक्षते चैव तद्धनम् । स भवेत्कर्मचण्डालः काष्ठकीलो भवेन्मृतः

Transliteration

yaḥ kanyārthaṃ tato labdhvā bhikṣate caiva taddhanam | sa bhavetkarmacaṇḍālaḥ kāṣṭhakīlo bhavenmṛtaḥ

Translation

Quiconque, ayant obtenu des biens sous prétexte de « pour la fille », va ensuite mendier et dépenser cet argent même, devient un caṇḍāla par sa conduite ; et à la mort il devient tel un pieu de bois, privé de passage heureux.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• कन्यार्थम्: for the sake of a maiden (marriage)
• कन्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः अर्थः/कन्यायै अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative of purpose

• ततः: thereafter/from that (source)
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereafter)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive) ‘having obtained’

• भिक्षते: begs
• भिक्षते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present); प्रथमपुरुषः? actually आत्मनेपदम् मध्यम/प्रथम? Form ‘भिक्षते’ = प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन आत्मनेपदम्; present 3rd sg Ātmanepada

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; demonstrative adjective qualifying ‘धनम्’

• धनम्: wealth/money
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• कर्मचण्डालः: a karmacaṇḍāla (outcaste by deed)
• कर्मचण्डालः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्मणा/कर्मविषये चण्डालः); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; predicate nominative

• काष्ठकीलः: a wooden peg (i.e., fixed/immobile like one)
• काष्ठकीलः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + कील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (काष्ठस्य कीलः); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; predicate nominative

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle) ‘dead’; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; predicative

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man receives alms claiming it is for his daughter’s marriage, then secretly spends it on himself; the scene contrasts public piety with private deceit, ending with a stark image of a lifeless wooden stake symbolizing blocked auspicious passage.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misappropriating or exploiting wealth collected in the name of a sacred duty (like a daughter’s marriage) is treated as grave adharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is an ethical warning within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: do not misuse or personally live off wealth obtained under the pretext of ‘kanyā-artha’ (marriage-purpose funds).