Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कन्यादानफलप्रेप्सुस्तस्माद्द द्यादनग्निकाम् । अन्यथा न फलं दातुः प्रतिग्राही पतेदधः

Transliteration

kanyādānaphalaprepsustasmādda dyādanagnikām | anyathā na phalaṃ dātuḥ pratigrāhī patedadhaḥ

Translation

അതിനാൽ കന്യാദാനഫലം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ അഗ്നിയാൽ ഇതുവരെ ‘അധിഗൃഹീത’ ആകാത്ത കന്യയെ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ദാതാവിന് ഫലം ലഭിക്കുകയില്ല; സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നവൻ അധോഗതിയിൽ പതിക്കും.

Word by Word

• कन्यादानफलप्रेप्सुः: one desiring the fruit of giving a maiden
• कन्यादानफलप्रेप्सुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √आप्/इप्स् ‘इच्छ’ भाव)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (‘कन्यादानस्य फलम्’ + ‘तत् प्रेप्सुः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता-विशेषण

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-तृतीया/पञ्चमी-प्रयोग: ‘तस्मात्’ = therefore (ablative sense)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनग्निकाम्: a girl not yet associated with (marital) fire; unmarried
• अनग्निकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्- (नञ्) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + का (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having’ sense)
• Form: नञ्-बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘अग्निः नास्ति यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कन्याम्’ (अध्याहृत) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक-adverb): ‘अन्यप्रकारे/विपरीते’

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वाक्यविषय)

• दातुः: of the giver
• दातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (‘of the giver’)

• प्रतिग्राही: the receiver (of the gift)
• प्रतिग्राही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्राहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• पतेत्: should fall
• पतेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Gati/Direction (दिशा/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक adverb): ‘नीचे’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kanyādāna scene framed by śāstra: the giver consults a sage; Agni appears as a symbolic boundary/claim; scales of merit hover—showing fruit gained or lost depending on eligibility.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit in dharma-actions depends on proper eligibility and right procedure, not merely the outward act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma discourse within Kāśī; no tirtha is directly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule regarding kanyādāna eligibility is stated, including consequences for improper giving/receiving.