Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

जाह्नवीतीरमासाद्य त्रैविद्येभ्यो ददौ नृपः । शासनं तु यदा दत्तं तेषां वै भक्तिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

jāhnavītīramāsādya traividyebhyo dadau nṛpaḥ | śāsanaṃ tu yadā dattaṃ teṣāṃ vai bhaktipūrvakam

Translation

ولما بلغ ضفة الجاهنفي (الغانغا)، منح الملك عطيةً لعلماء الفيدات الثلاث؛ وحين أصدر لهم المرسوم الملكي كان ذلك بخشوعٍ وتعبّد.

Word by Word

• जाह्नवीतीरम्: the bank of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीतीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जाह्नव्याः तीरम् = bank of the Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having reached/approached

• त्रैविद्येभ्यः: to the Traividyas (those versed in the three Vedas)
• त्रैविद्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैविद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी (4th/5th), बहुवचन; दा-धातोः सम्प्रदानार्थे चतुर्थी (to the Traividyas)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शासनम्: a grant; decree; charter
• शासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphasis/contrast particle

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction: when)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; शासनम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भक्तिपूर्वकम्: devoutly; with devotion
• भक्तिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial): with devotion

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Brāhma Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) tīra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the luminous Gaṅgā bank, the king ceremonially hands a copper-plate charter to three-Veda scholars; river glitters, priests chant, offerings arranged on kusa grass.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• King (nṛpa)
• Traividyas (three-Veda scholars)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting Vedic learning through devoted charity and lawful grants is a kingly dharma that generates religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jāhnavī riverbank—i.e., the sacred Gaṅgā tīra—serves as the sanctified setting for the grant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) and śāsana (formal grant/charter) to Traividya Brāhmaṇas are highlighted.