Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

भूमेरंगुलहर्ता हि स कथं पापमाचरेत् । भूमेरंगुलदाता च स कथं पुण्यमाचरेत्

Transliteration

bhūmeraṃgulahartā hi sa kathaṃ pāpamācaret | bhūmeraṃguladātā ca sa kathaṃ puṇyamācaret

Translation

Celui qui vole ne serait-ce qu'un doigt de terre, comment ne commettrait-il pas un péché ? Et celui qui donne ne serait-ce qu'un doigt de terre, comment ne pratiquerait-il pas le mérite ?

Word by Word

• भूमेः: of land/earth
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Feminine, Genitive singular

• अङ्गुलहर्ता: one who steals a finger-breadth (of land)
• अङ्गुलहर्ता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल-हर्तृ (अङ्गुल + हर्तृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक); Indeclinable particle (indeed/for)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Nominative singular, Masculine

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय; Interrogative adverb (how)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• आचरेत्: should practice/commit
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Optative, 3rd person singular

• भूमेः: of land/earth
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Feminine, Genitive singular

• अङ्गुलदाता: one who gives a finger-breadth (of land)
• अङ्गुलदाता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल-दातृ (अङ्गुल + दातृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय; Conjunction (and)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Nominative singular, Masculine

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय; Interrogative adverb (how)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• आचरेत्: should practice/perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Optative, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Brahmā (to Nārada, inferred)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: on one side, a stealthy boundary-stealer measuring a finger’s breadth; on the other, a serene donor offering a small plot with water-pot and deed-leaf to a worthy recipient; the earth-goddess (Bhū-devī) witnesses, approving the gift and frowning on theft.

Characters & Entities

• bhūmi (land)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the smallest injustice in land matters is grave sin, and even a small sincere gift of land is powerful merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse is a universal dharma statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is bhū-dāna (donating land) and strict avoidance of land-theft.