Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

पंचपञ्चाशतो ग्रामान्ददौ रामः पुरा स्वयम् । तत्रस्था वणिजश्चैव तेषां वृत्तिमकल्पयन्

Transliteration

paṃcapañcāśato grāmāndadau rāmaḥ purā svayam | tatrasthā vaṇijaścaiva teṣāṃ vṛttimakalpayan

Translation

Long ago, Rāma himself bestowed fifty-five villages; and the merchants settled there arranged the means of livelihood for them.

Word by Word

• पंचपञ्चाशतः: of fifty-five
• पंचपञ्चाशतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca-pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पञ्चाशत्-शब्दः), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘पञ्चपञ्चाशत्’ = 55, तस्य षष्ठी — Genitive singular (of fifty-five)

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative plural

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time) — formerly/once

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-emphasis (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: आत्मवाचक-अव्यय — reflexive indeclinable (himself)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — locative adverb (there)

• स्थाः: residing
• स्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stha (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था, क्त/क्तवत्-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘स्थित’ अर्थे (तत्र-स्थ) — Masculine, Nominative plural; standing/residing

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṇij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (वणिजः = वणिजः/वणिजाः; छन्दोवशात्) — Masculine, Nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय — conjunction (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय — emphatic particle (indeed/just)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• वृत्तिम्: livelihood, means of subsistence
• वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• अकल्पयन्: arranged/provided
• अकल्पयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kḷp (कॢप्) with a- (अ) + causative sense
• Form: लङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘अ-कल्पयन्’ = they arranged/provided — Imperfect, 3rd person plural

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma (as ideal king) performs a formal land-grant ceremony: copperplate/scroll, water-pouring (udaka-dāna), witnesses; nearby, merchants set up granaries and marketplaces ensuring steady livelihood for the brāhmaṇa settlement.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vaṇij (merchants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through righteous patronage: rulers give, and society supports sacred communities with sustainable livelihoods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it highlights charitable patronage connected to the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of village grants and practical support (vṛtti) for the religious community.