Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कन्यामभुक्तां सोमाद्यैर्ददद्दानफलं लभेत् । देवभुक्तां ददद्दाता न स्वर्गमधिगच्छति

Transliteration

kanyāmabhuktāṃ somādyairdadaddānaphalaṃ labhet | devabhuktāṃ dadaddātā na svargamadhigacchati

Translation

ผู้ใดถวายทานกุมารีที่ยังมิได้ถูกโสมะและเทพทั้งหลาย ‘เสพ’ ย่อมได้ผลแห่งทาน; แต่ผู้ให้ซึ่งถวายกุมารีที่ถูกเทพ ‘เสพแล้ว’ ย่อมไม่บรรลุสวรรค์

Word by Word

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

• अभुक्ताम्: not enjoyed/untouched
• अभुक्ताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भुक्त (कृदन्त; √भुज् (धातु) + क्त, नकार-प्रत्ययेन निषेध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; विशेषणम् (कन्याम्)

• सोमाद्यैः: by Soma and others
• सोमाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; आदि-शब्देन समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘सोमादि’ इति समासः (सोमः आदिः येषाम्)

• ददत्: giving
• ददत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) (ददत्-शतृ कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले; कर्तरि; विशेषणम् (अध्याहृतः ‘दाता’)

• दानफलम्: the fruit of giving
• दानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवभुक्ताम्: enjoyed by a god (already taken)
• देवभुक्ताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव-भुक्त (कृदन्त; √भुज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवैः/देवस्य भुक्ता) ; विशेषणम् (कन्याम्)

• ददत्: giving
• ददत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) (ददत्-शतृ कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (दाता)

• दाता: the giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायाः कर्म

• अधिगच्छति: attains/reaches
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः ‘अधि’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages / pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-teaching scene in Kāśī: a seated ācārya instructs a householder about the subtle rules of kanyā-dāna; the Gaṅgā and ghāṭas appear in the background, with ritual vessels and kuśa nearby, emphasizing śāstric discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heavenly merit is tied to dharmic correctness—proper qualification and timing are treated as essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse is embedded in Kāśī’s sacred narrative setting; this verse itself is not a tirtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It reinforces the eligibility condition for kanyādāna and states karmic outcomes (svarga vs. loss of merit).