Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

जामदग्न्येन रामेण पुरा दत्ता वसुन्धरा । त्रिःसप्त क्षत्रियैर्हीनां कृत्वास्माकं नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa purā dattā vasundharā | triḥsapta kṣatriyairhīnāṃ kṛtvāsmākaṃ nṛpottama

Translation

Ô meilleur des rois ! Jadis, Rāma Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma) nous donna la terre, après l’avoir rendue dépourvue de kṣatriyas—trois fois sept fois.

Word by Word

• जामदग्न्येन: by Jāmadagnya
• जामदग्न्येन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामदग्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रामेण: by Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• रामेण: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्धे (apposition to जामदग्न्येन)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• दत्ता: was given
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दत्त (प्रातिपदिक; दा→क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (given)

• वसुन्धरा: the earth
• वसुन्धरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुन्धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रिःसप्त: three times seven (i.e., twenty-one)
• त्रिःसप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिः + सप्त (संख्या-शब्दौ)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-द्विगु; अव्ययपूर्वपद (त्रिः) + सप्त; विशेषणम् (क्षत्रियैः)

• क्षत्रियैः: by/with Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हीनाम्: deprived (of)
• हीनाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वसुन्धराम् understood)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• अस्माकम्: of us; for us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (nṛpottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas cite the ancient episode: Paraśurāma, axe-bearing, stands after kṣatriya-kṣaya, offering the earth to brāhmaṇas; the present king and brāhmaṇas appear as a framing audience at the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma (Rāma Jāmadagnya)
• Kṣatriyas
• King (Nṛpottama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse recalls Purāṇic history to discuss dharma: even extraordinary transfers of power/land must be weighed against practical protection and stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It remains within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya milieu, where sacred geography frames debates on rightful settlement and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; an itihāsa reference (Paraśurāma’s act) is used as dharma-argumentation.