Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

स्वस्थानं पंचपत्ताशद्ग्रामा एते ह्यनुक्रमात् । दत्ता रामेण विधिवत्कृत्वा विप्रेभ्य एव च

Transliteration

svasthānaṃ paṃcapattāśadgrāmā ete hyanukramāt | dattā rāmeṇa vidhivatkṛtvā viprebhya eva ca

Translation

ഇവ ക്രമാനുസാരമായി സ്വസ്ഥാനത്തിലെ അമ്പത്തയ്യായിരം ഗ്രാമങ്ങൾ; രാമൻ വിധിപൂർവ്വം കർമ്മം നടത്തി ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ദാനമായി നൽകി.

Word by Word

• स्वस्थानम्: one’s own place/settlement
• स्वस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case; contextually कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य स्थानम्)

• पञ्चपत्ताशत्: fifty-five
• पञ्चपत्ताशत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + पत्ताशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; समासः द्विगुः (पञ्च + पत्ताशत् = 55); बहुवचन-विशेषणरूपेण ग्रामाः इति विशेषयति

• ग्रामाः: villages
• ग्रामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• अनुक्रमात्: in sequence/according to order
• अनुक्रमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान/क्रम-निर्देशे

• दत्ताः: were given
• दत्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘(ग्रामाः) दत्ताः’

• रामेण: by Rama
• रामेण: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive; कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to rule/properly
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual—dialogue continues into Nārada’s question and Brahmā’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svasthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, in royal attire, performs a formal donation rite, handing over copper-plate-like grants and water-libation to seated brāhmaṇas, with a scribe and witnesses; behind them a map-like vista of clustered villages labeled as Svasthāna’s grāmas.

Characters & Entities

• Svasthāna
• Rāma
• Brāhmaṇas (Vipra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed according to scriptural procedure (vidhivat) is upheld as a stabilizing force of dharma and sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svasthāna within the Dharmāraṇya sacred region is highlighted through its ordered list of associated villages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal donation of villages (grāma-dāna) done 'vidhivat'—after completing proper rites—specifically to Brāhmaṇas.