Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कन्यादानं तु यः कुर्याद्वृषं वा यः समुत्सृजेत् । तस्य वासो भवेत्तत्र यत्राहमिति नान्यथा

Transliteration

kanyādānaṃ tu yaḥ kuryādvṛṣaṃ vā yaḥ samutsṛjet | tasya vāso bhavettatra yatrāhamiti nānyathā

Translation

Namun sesiapa yang melakukan kanyā-dāna (menghadiahkan puteri dalam perkahwinan suci), atau sesiapa yang melakukan vṛṣotsarga (melepaskan lembu jantan), baginya tempat tinggal adalah tepat di mana Aku berada—demikianlah, tidak selainnya.

Word by Word

• कन्यादानम्: the giving of a maiden (in marriage)
• कन्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यादान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः दानम्)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (who)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वृषम्: a bull
• वृषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (who)

• समुत्सृजेत्: should release/set free
• समुत्सृजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• वासः: dwelling/abode
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Sambandha (Relative locative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (where)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyartha-marker (Quotation/वाक्यार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणार्थक (quotative marker)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (not)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa) speaking to King Uttānapāda (deduced from Adhyāya 50 context and continuation into the king’s questions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general) / deity-presence locus (‘yatra aham’)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two parallel vignettes: a sacred marriage-gift scene with the bride being given with Vedic fire, and a bull being ceremonially released with a Śaiva mark; above, the deity’s luminous presence indicating ‘dwelling where I am’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by 'where I am')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain dharmic gifts—supporting righteous household life and honoring sacred cattle—are said to lead to the Lord’s own abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal (Śiva-loka attainment) within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting, not a specific named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kanyā-dāna (giving a daughter in marriage according to dharma) and vṛṣotsarga (ritual release/dedication of a bull).