Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38
स्फुटान्प्रश्नानिमान्सप्त यदि वक्ष्यसि ब्राह्मण । ततो गवां सप्तनियुतं सुवर्णं तावदेव तु
sphuṭānpraśnānimānsapta yadi vakṣyasi brāhmaṇa | tato gavāṃ saptaniyutaṃ suvarṇaṃ tāvadeva tu
ಹೇ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ, ಈ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾದ ಏಳು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನೀನು ಉತ್ತರಿಸಿದರೆ, ನಾನು ಏಳು ಸಾವಿರ ಹಸುಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡುವೆ; ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದ ಚಿನ್ನವನ್ನೂ ನೀಡುವೆ।
The King
Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame)
Scene: A king or noble patron offers an immense reward—seven thousand cows and equal gold—to a brāhmaṇa for answering seven questions; attendants, cattle in the distance, heaps of gold, and a formal pledge gesture.
FAQs
Kings uphold dharma by honoring sacred knowledge and supporting teachers through generous, traditional gifts.
No particular holy place is mentioned; the verse highlights the dharmic economy of knowledge and dāna.
A vow of gifting cows and gold (go-dāna and suvarṇa-dāna) contingent on answering doctrinal questions.