Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कन्यां वसुमतीं गां च महिषीं वा पयस्विनीम् । ददते ये नृपश्रेष्ठ नोपसर्पन्ति ते यमम्

Transliteration

kanyāṃ vasumatīṃ gāṃ ca mahiṣīṃ vā payasvinīm | dadate ye nṛpaśreṣṭha nopasarpanti te yamam

Translation

ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! കന്യാദാനം, ഭൂദാനം, ഗോദാനം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പാൽ തരുന്ന മഹിഷീദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ യമനെ സമീപിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वसुमतीम्: the earth/land (Vasumatī)
• वसुमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महिषीम्: a she-buffalo
• महिषीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पयस्विनीम्: milk-giving, lactating
• पयस्विनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पयस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• ददते: they give
• ददते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• उपसर्पन्ति: approach, go near
• उपसर्पन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यमम्: Yama (lord of death)
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator instructing Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as nṛpaśreṣṭha).

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor offers kanyā-dāna, bhū-dāna, go-dāna, and mahiṣī-dāna; in the background Yama’s court recedes, signifying immunity from judgment.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kanyā-dāna
• Go-dāna
• Mahiṣī-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great gifts that support dharma and livelihood—marriage-gift, land, and cattle—are portrayed as safeguards against Yama’s fear.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) milieu frames the teaching; the verse itself is ethical/ritual instruction rather than tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kanyā-dāna and donate land, cow, or a milk-giving buffalo as meritorious dāna.