Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सप्त ग्रामांश्च दास्यामि नो चेद्यास्यसि स्वं गृहम् । इत्युक्त्वा वचनं पार्थ सौराष्ट्रस्वामिनं नृपम्

Transliteration

sapta grāmāṃśca dāsyāmi no cedyāsyasi svaṃ gṛham | ityuktvā vacanaṃ pārtha saurāṣṭrasvāminaṃ nṛpam

Translation

„Und ich werde auch sieben Dörfer geben; andernfalls wird es dir nicht erlaubt sein, in dein eigenes Haus zu gehen.“ Nachdem er diese Worte gesprochen hatte, o Pārtha, zu dem König, dem Herrn von Saurāṣṭra …

Word by Word

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, अव्ययवत्/सर्वलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (if)

• यास्यसि: you will go
• यास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गृहम्: home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-बोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uktvā (कृदन्त; √vac वचने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वचनम्: words, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (contextual address), एकवचन

• सौराष्ट्रस्वामिनम्: the lord of Saurāṣṭra
• सौराष्ट्रस्वामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saurāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सौराष्ट्रस्य स्वामी)

• नृपम्: king
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta) quoting the king; includes an address to 'Pārtha' within the narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saurāṣṭra (regional kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Pārtha’ is directly addressed in the verse (a conventional epic-style vocative within Purāṇic narration); frame listeners are the sages.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king of Saurāṣṭra addresses a brāhmaṇa with a firm ultimatum: accept the task (answer questions) and receive villages; refuse and be detained from returning home. The scene is charged—guards, court officials, and the brāhmaṇa’s composed restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Saurāṣṭra
• king (nṛpa)
• seven villages (sapta grāmāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse portrays intense royal insistence on obtaining dharma-knowledge, coupled with lavish patronage (and pressure) to secure instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; a geographic region—Saurāṣṭra—is mentioned as the king’s domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pledge of granting villages (grāma-dāna) in addition to other gifts, tied to the requested exposition.