Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एकैव भगिनी लोके सर्वेषामेव भूभुजाम् । न भोज्या न करग्राह्या विप्रदत्ता वसुंधरा

Transliteration

ekaiva bhaginī loke sarveṣāmeva bhūbhujām | na bhojyā na karagrāhyā vipradattā vasuṃdharā

Translation

Eine einzige gemeinsame Schwester haben in der Welt alle Könige: die Erde, Vasundharā. Land, das den Brāhmaṇas geschenkt wurde, darf weder als eigenes genossen noch mit Abgaben belegt werden.

Word by Word

• ekā: one, single
• ekā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (only/just)

• bhaginī: sister
• bhaginī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (indeed/only)

• bhūbhujām: of kings (earth-rulers)
• bhūbhujām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhūmim bhunakti iti)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (not)

• bhojyā: to be enjoyed/consumed
• bhojyā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuj (धाातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive/potential passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Fem. Nom. Sg.); विधेय-विशेषणम् (vasuṃdharā)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (not)

• karagrāhyā: to be seized by hand
• karagrāhyā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + grāhya (प्रातिपदिक) < grah (धाातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (karasya grāhyā = 'to be taken by hand')

• vipradattā: given to a Brahmin
• vipradattā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + datta (प्रातिपदिक) < dā (धाातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Past participle, Fem. Nom. Sg.); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (vipreṇa/viprasya dattā)

• vasuṃdharā: the earth
• vasuṃdharā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasuṃdharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhū-devī depicted as a dignified sister figure between multiple kings, holding a boundary rope/measure; a brāhmaṇa receives a land-grant copperplate while a king withdraws his tax-collector’s staff in restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kings must honor dharma by safeguarding brāhmaṇa endowments; such granted land is protected from royal appropriation and taxation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching concerns governance and sanctity of religious grants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A governance injunction is given: do not levy tax and do not treat as personal enjoyment land that has been donated to brāhmaṇas.