Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

गोभूतिलहिरण्याश्वदीपान्नांबरभूषणम् । कन्यादानं प्रयत्नेन सप्ततंतूननेकशः

Transliteration

gobhūtilahiraṇyāśvadīpānnāṃbarabhūṣaṇam | kanyādānaṃ prayatnena saptataṃtūnanekaśaḥ

Translation

പശു, ഭൂമി, എള്ള്, സ്വർണം, കുതിര, ദീപം, അന്നം, വസ്ത്രം, ആഭരണം എന്നിവ ദാനമായി നൽകുക; കൂടാതെ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ കന്യാദാനവും, പലവിധ സപ്തതന്തു നെയ്ത്തുവസ്ത്രാദികളും (ദാനം) ചെയ്യുക.

Word by Word

• गो: cow
• गो: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (feminine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• भू: land
• भू: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (feminine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• तिल: sesame
• तिल: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• हिरण्य: gold
• हिरण्य: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• दीप: lamp
• दीप: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• अम्बर: garment, cloth
• अम्बर: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (in compound)

• भूषणम्: ornament; adornment (as gifts)
• भूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम् (singular)

• कन्यादानम्: giving a maiden in marriage
• कन्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + दान (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कन्यायाः दानम् (gift of a maiden)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (numeral adjective: seven) (in compound)

• तन्तून्: threads (lineages)
• तन्तून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• अनेकशः: in many ways; repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in many ways/many times)

Speaker

Viṣṇu (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (dāna-kṣetra within Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśīkhaṇḍa audience (pilgrimage instruction mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī charity scene: donors offer cows and gold to brāhmaṇas, distribute food and garments to pilgrims, place lamps along ghāṭa steps, and present textiles; the atmosphere is bustling yet sacred.

Characters & Entities

• dāna (charity)
• kanyā-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by generosity—dāna in a sacred place becomes a powerful expression of purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Kāśī’s tīrtha context (Māṇikarṇikā-centered adhyāya), emphasizing dharma there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Multiple forms of dāna: cows, land, sesame, gold, horses, lamps, food, clothing, ornaments, and kanyā-dāna.