Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62
सोद्वाहिता मया कन्या दानं सकृदिति स्मृतिः । सकृज्जल्पंति राजानः सकृज्जल्पंति पण्डिताः
sodvāhitā mayā kanyā dānaṃ sakṛditi smṛtiḥ | sakṛjjalpaṃti rājānaḥ sakṛjjalpaṃti paṇḍitāḥ
“ಆ ಕನ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ವಿವಾಹ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ; ದಾನವು ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಸ್ಮೃತಿಯ ಮಾತು. ರಾಜರು ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಪಂಡಿತರೂ ಒಂದೇ ಬಾರಿ ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ।”
The cursed petitioner (unnamed in the snippet)
Scene: A didactic moment: the speaker cites tradition (smṛti) while gesturing toward a symbolic ‘gift’—a maiden’s hand or a ceremonial water-pot—while a king and scholars stand as witnesses to one-time speech.
FAQs
Dharma values steadfastness: gifts, vows, and declarations should not be reversed for convenience.
No holy place is praised in this verse.
Implicitly, it references kanyādāna as a form of dāna and stresses its one-time, non-retractable nature.