Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

रामेण पंचपंचाशद्ग्रामाणि वसनाय च । स्वयं निर्माय दत्तानि द्विजेभ्यस्तेभ्य एव च

Transliteration

rāmeṇa paṃcapaṃcāśadgrāmāṇi vasanāya ca | svayaṃ nirmāya dattāni dvijebhyastebhya eva ca

Translation

വാസത്തിനായി രാമൻ സ്വയം അമ്പത്തിയഞ്ച് ഗ്രാമങ്ങൾ നിർമ്മിച്ച്, ആ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്കു (ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു) തന്നേ ദാനമായി നൽകി।

Word by Word

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• पञ्चपञ्चाशत्: fifty-five
• पञ्चपञ्चाशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + पञ्चाशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; ‘55’ (पञ्च + पञ्चाशत्)

• ग्रामाणि: villages
• ग्रामाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• वसनाय: for dwelling/residence
• वसनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

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

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनः कर्तृत्वबोधक (adverb: ‘personally’)

• निर्माय: having built/constructed
• निर्माय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); धातुः: निर्मा/मा (to make/build) उपसर्गः ‘निर्’; ‘having constructed’

• दत्तानि: given
• दत्तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘given’

• द्विजेभ्यः: to the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी (4th/5th), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (particle of emphasis)

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

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual narrator in this dialogue section)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, as righteous patron-king, formally grants villages to assembled Brāhmaṇas; a scribe records the grant; boundary markers and pots of water symbolize donation; Brāhmaṇas receive with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal kingship expresses devotion through concrete support of dharma—establishing communities and sustaining Vedic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is implicitly glorified as a sanctified zone where righteous settlement and Vedic practice are formally established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is highlighted in the form of grāma-dāna (donation of villages/land for residence).