Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तेन कन्यासहस्राणि अच्युतान्यर्बुदानि च । ब्राहमणेभ्यः प्रदत्तानि ब्राह्मणानां धनार्थिनाम्

Transliteration

tena kanyāsahasrāṇi acyutānyarbudāni ca | brāhamaṇebhyaḥ pradattāni brāhmaṇānāṃ dhanārthinām

Translation

അവൻ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് കന്യാദാനം ചെയ്തു; അതുപോലെ അളവറ്റ ധനവും—ധനം ആവശ്യമുള്ള ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു നൽകി।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• कन्यासहस्राणि: thousands of maidens
• कन्यासहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘कन्यानां सहस्राणि’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अच्युतानि: unfailing, imperishable
• अच्युतानि: Sambandha/Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘अच्युत’ = न च्युत (not fallen/imperishable)

• अर्बुदानि: arbuda-s (ten-millions; vast numbers)
• अर्बुदानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dative/Ablative 4th/5th), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान)

• प्रदत्तानि: given, bestowed
• प्रदत्तानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रदत्त (कृदन्त; प्र+√दा (डादाने) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘(दानानि) प्रदत्तानि’

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• धनार्थिनाम्: who desire wealth
• धनार्थिनाम्: Sambandha/Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; ‘धनम् अर्थयन्ति’/‘धनस्य अर्थिनः’ (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrative voice; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal donor distributing wealth to Brahmins; a ceremonial kanyādāna setting with sacred fire, priests, and orderly gift presentation.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dāna (charity)
• Kanyā-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generosity—especially supporting the needy and upholding social-religious duties like kanyā-dāna—is praised as a high purifier in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the narrative of accumulated merit through dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acts of dāna, including kanyā-dāna and wealth-gifts to Brahmins in need.