Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

लिखित्वा शासनं रामश्चातुर्वेद्यद्विजोत्तमान् । संपूज्य प्रददौ धीमान्वसिष्ठस्य च सन्निधौ

Transliteration

likhitvā śāsanaṃ rāmaścāturvedyadvijottamān | saṃpūjya pradadau dhīmānvasiṣṭhasya ca sannidhau

Translation

দানপত্ৰ লিখি, বুদ্ধিমান ৰামে চাৰিও বেদত পাৰদৰ্শী শ্ৰেষ্ঠ ব্ৰাহ্মণসকলক বিধিপূৰ্বক পূজা কৰি, বসিষ্ঠৰ সন্নিধানত সেই দান আনুষ্ঠানিকভাৱে প্ৰদান কৰিলে।

Word by Word

• likhitvā: having written
• likhitvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: likh (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive)

• śāsanam: edict/charter
• śāsanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• rāmaḥ: Rāma
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• cāturvedya: versed in the four Vedas
• cāturvedya: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); चतुर्वेद-सम्बन्धि (one versed in four Vedas)

• dvijottamān: best of the twice-born (excellent Brahmins)
• dvijottamān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dvijānām uttamāḥ)

• saṃpūjya: having honored/worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pūj (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive)

• pradadau: gave
• pradadau: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-dā (धाातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• dhīmān: wise
• dhīmān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम् (rāmaḥ)

• vasiṣṭhasya: of Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭhasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• sannidhau: in the presence
• sannidhau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal grant ceremony: Rāma seated with scribe tools, inscribing a charter; cāturvedya brāhmaṇas seated with Vedic emblems; Vasiṣṭha presides; offerings and respectful worship precede the handover.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vasiṣṭha
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is sanctified through proper procedure—honoring the worthy and formalizing the grant under dharmic witness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes the dharmic institution of śāsana and brāhmaṇa honor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal donation protocol: write the śāsana (grant), honor the qualified brāhmaṇas, and bestow the grant before an authoritative witness (Vasiṣṭha).