Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शासनं द्विजवर्येभ्यो दत्त्वा ग्रामान्बहूंस्तथा । स्नात्वा चैव धर्म्मवाप्यां सुदानान्यददाद्गवाम्

Transliteration

śāsanaṃ dvijavaryebhyo dattvā grāmānbahūṃstathā | snātvā caiva dharmmavāpyāṃ sudānānyadadādgavām

Translation

Il remit des chartes de donation aux plus éminents brāhmaṇas et accorda de même de nombreux villages ; puis, s’étant baigné dans la sainte Dharmavāpī, il offrit d’excellents dons de vaches.

Word by Word

• शासनम्: a grant/edict
• शासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्विजवर्येभ्यः: to the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजवर्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/Dative), बहुवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; “having given”

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ग्रामान्)

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; “having bathed”

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• धर्म्मवाप्याम्: in the Dharmavāpī (sacred well/pond)
• धर्म्मवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• सुदानानि: excellent gifts
• सुदानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• अददात्: he gave
• अददात्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः)

Speaker

Narrator within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (contextual; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī (within Dharmāraṇya)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, serene after war, issues copper-plate-like grants to venerable brāhmaṇas; villagers witness; then he descends steps into a clear tank labeled Dharmavāpī, emerging to gift well-adorned cows to recipients.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavāpī
• Brāhmaṇas (dvija)
• Cow-gifts (go-dāna)
• Village grants
• Rāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected through charity and honoring the learned; tīrtha-bathing gains fullness when paired with dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, the sacred tank within Dharmāraṇya, is directly highlighted as a place for purifying bath (snāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Dharmavāpī and dāna—especially go-dāna and gifts to brāhmaṇas—are explicitly described.