Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पृथ्वीदानं समाचरेत् । न हरेत्परदत्तां च कथंचिदपि मेदिनीम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena pṛthvīdānaṃ samācaret | na haretparadattāṃ ca kathaṃcidapi medinīm

Translation

لذلك فليبذل المرء كلَّ جهدٍ في ممارسة هبةِ الأرض، ولا يجوز له بحالٍ من الأحوال أن يغتصب أرضًا قد وُهِبت لغيره.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that reason')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वः प्रयत्नः (कर्मधारय)

• पृथ्वीदानम्: gift of land
• पृथ्वीदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—पृथिव्याः दानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• समाचरेत्: should practice/perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• हरेत्: should take away/steal
• हरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परदत्ताम्: given by another
• परदत्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + दत्त (कृदन्त, √दा (धातु) क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—परेण दत्ता (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथंचित्: in any way
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'in any way/somehow'

• अपि: even/at all
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: emphasis/concession)

• मेदिनीम्: the earth/land
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (didactic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva/narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation scene: the king orders protection of donated lands; boundary markers are set; scribes record the grant; a contrasting shadow-scene shows the taboo of confiscation being rejected.

Characters & Entities

• Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires both giving and restraint—true kingship protects lawful gifts and rejects the sin of confiscating grants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is present; the verse teaches general dharma within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pṛthivīdāna wholeheartedly, and maintain the inviolability of land already donated (do not reclaim it).