Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

न च कन्याविवाहार्थं वसु क्वापि मयार्पितम् । इह सौख्यसमृद्ध्यर्थं दिव्यकन्यार्पकं दिवि

Transliteration

na ca kanyāvivāhārthaṃ vasu kvāpi mayārpitam | iha saukhyasamṛddhyarthaṃ divyakanyārpakaṃ divi

Translation

我也从未在任何处施财以成就少女婚嫁。于此生为求安乐与兴盛，我未行那种布施——其果报在天界等同于奉献一位天女。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kanyāvivāhārtham: for the purpose of a maiden’s marriage
• kanyāvivāhārtham: Karma (Purpose-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vivāha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थ-शब्दः; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• vasu: wealth
• vasu: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kvāpi: anywhere
• kvāpi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'anywhere')

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• arpitam: offered/given
• arpitam: Karma (Predicate of object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arp (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'अर्पितम्' = 'has been offered/given'

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here')

• saukhyasamṛddhyartham: for the sake of happiness and prosperity
• saukhyasamṛddhyartham: Karma (Purpose-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + samṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सौख्य-समृद्ध्योः) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः + अर्थः; प्रयोजनार्थे

• divyakanyārpakam: (as) a giver of divine maidens
• divyakanyārpakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + arpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'दिव्यकन्याः अर्पयति' इति (giver of divine maidens)

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful pilgrim in Kāśī reflects on neglected gifts; behind him, ghāṭ steps, lamps, and a distant temple spire suggest the city’s moral awakening.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglecting key forms of charity—especially socially sustaining gifts—results in missing both worldly well-being and heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself stresses dāna rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna connected with kanyāvivāha (assisting a maiden’s marriage) is implied as a high-merit charitable act.