Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

संति दानान्यनेकानि किं तैस्तुच्छ फलप्रदैः । अभीति दानसदृशं परमेकमपीह न

Transliteration

saṃti dānānyanekāni kiṃ taistuccha phalapradaiḥ | abhīti dānasadṛśaṃ paramekamapīha na

Translation

Il est bien des dons, mais à quoi servent ceux qui ne donnent que des fruits dérisoires ? Ici, pas un seul don n’égale le don suprême de l’intrépidité (abhaya).

Word by Word

• santi: there are
• santi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dānāni: gifts, charities
• dānāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (dānāni-विशेषण)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• taiḥ: by/with those
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• tuccha: trifling, paltry
• tuccha: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (phala-विशेषण, समासपूर्वपद)

• phalapradaiḥ: giving results
• phalapradaiḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (taiḥ-सम्बद्ध); फल-प्रद = फलम् प्रददाति इति

• abhīti: fearlessness
• abhīti: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + bhīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक

• dāna-sadṛśam: comparable to (true) giving
• dāna-sadṛśam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (paramekam-विशेषण); दानस्य सदृशम्

• parama: supreme
• parama: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (ekam-विशेषण)

• ekam: one (thing)
• ekam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• iha: here (in this world)
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A benefactor in Kāśī offers refuge: calming a frightened being (human/animal), stopping violence, and assuring safety; other gifts (coins, grain) appear secondary in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Abhīti (fearlessness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among charities, the highest is protecting beings and removing fear—abhaya/abhīti-dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though this verse itself praises a universal dharma rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It elevates a practice: giving fearlessness—offering protection, refuge, and non-harm—over merely material donations.