Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवं तेन कृता पृथ्वी सर्वक्षत्त्रविवर्जिता । त्रिःसप्तवारं विप्रेंद्रा द्विजेभ्यश्च निवेदिता

Transliteration

evaṃ tena kṛtā pṛthvī sarvakṣattravivarjitā | triḥsaptavāraṃ vipreṃdrā dvijebhyaśca niveditā

Translation

So wurde durch ihn die Erde aller Kṣatriyas beraubt; und, o Bester der Brāhmaṇas, sie wurde den Zweimalgeborenen immer wieder dargebracht—einundzwanzigmal.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय; manner adverb

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• कृता: made / rendered
• कृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past passive participle feminine nominative singular

• पृथ्वी: the earth
• पृथ्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• सर्वक्षत्त्रविवर्जिता: devoid of all kṣatra (kṣatriyas)
• सर्वक्षत्त्रविवर्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + क्षत्त्र + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; adjective qualifying 'पृथ्वी' (P.P.P. sense: 'devoid of')

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्या-अव्यय; multiplicative adverb

• सप्तवारम्: seven times
• सप्तवारम्: Kriya-visheshana (Measure/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular used adverbially (measure)

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of brāhmaṇas / brāhmaṇa-lords
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; nominative plural

• द्विजेभ्यः: to the twice-born
• द्विजेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), बहुवचन; dative plural

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

• निवेदिता: was presented / offered
• निवेदिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेष्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु) → निवेदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past passive participle feminine nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (implied narrative voice, addressing a brāhmaṇa audience)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic, panoramic depiction: Paraśurāma stands with axe and ritual vessel as the earth itself is offered—repeatedly—to assemblies of dvijas; the number ‘21’ is shown through repeated panels or a garland of twenty-one emblems.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• vipra
• pṛthvī
• kṣatriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text emphasizes the gravity of adharma in rulership and the ideal of restoring a dharmic order through repeated acts of renunciation and gifting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse is part of the broader etiological-historical frame used within tīrtha-mahātmyas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The repeated ‘nivedana’/presentation (dāna motif) of the earth to dvijas is stated; no procedural details are given.