Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

प्रतर्द्दनः काशिपति प्रदाय नयने स्वके । ब्राह्मणायातुलां कीर्तिमिह चामुत्र चाश्नुते

Transliteration

pratarddanaḥ kāśipati pradāya nayane svake | brāhmaṇāyātulāṃ kīrtimiha cāmutra cāśnute

Translation

کاشی کے فرمانروا پرتاردّن نے ایک برہمن کو اپنی ہی آنکھیں دان کر کے، اس دنیا اور اگلی دنیا دونوں میں بے مثال شہرت پائی۔

Word by Word

• प्रतर्द्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्द्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्द्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• काशिपति: king of Kāśī
• काशिपति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशि + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः: काश्याः पतिः (lord of Kāśī)

• प्रदाय: having given
• प्रदाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), उपसर्गः प्र- — Absolutive ‘having given’

• नयने: (his two) eyes
• नयने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Dual

• स्वके: his own
• स्वके: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Dual; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'nayane')

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• अतुलाम्: incomparable
• अतुलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'kīrtim')

• कीर्तिम्: fame
• कीर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here/in this world’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अमुत्र: there (hereafter)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘there/in the other world’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अश्नुते: attains/enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pratarddana, king of Kāśī, in a solemn act of donation, offering his eyes to a brāhmaṇa; the city of Kāśī suggested by ghats/temple spires in the background; a radiant aura of fame extending to heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Pratarddana
• Kāśī
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary charity yields enduring kīrti (glory) across worlds; self-sacrificial giving is praised as high dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is referenced through ‘Kāśipati’; the verse connects Kāśī’s royal exemplar to the purāṇic ideal of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it promotes brāhmaṇa-dāna and the dharmic ideal of giving even what is dearest.