Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ वित्तं क्षेत्राणि च बहूनि सः । सर्वे स्वधर्मनिरतास्तस्मिन्राजनि शासति

Transliteration

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau vittaṃ kṣetrāṇi ca bahūni saḥ | sarve svadharmaniratāstasminrājani śāsati

Translation

അവൻ ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ധനവും അനേകം കൃഷിഭൂമികളും ദാനമായി നൽകി. ആ രാജാവിന്റെ ഭരണത്തിൽ എല്ലാവരും തങ്ങളുടെ സ്വധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിഷ്ഠരായി നിലകൊണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/दातृ), बहुवचन; Dative plural

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वित्तम्: wealth, money
• वित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• क्षेत्राणि: fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

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

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural; विशेषण (क्षेत्राणि)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun nominative singular

• सर्वे: all (people)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• स्वधर्मनिरताः: devoted to their own duty
• स्वधर्मनिरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-धर्म-निरत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; विशेषण (सर्वे); समास-विग्रहः: स्वस्य धर्मे निरताः

• तस्मिन्: in/when that (king)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• राजनि: in the king (i.e., under the king)
• राजनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• शासति: (when he) rules/governs
• शासति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king in court distributes gold and land-grants to Brāhmaṇas; citizens stand serene, each engaged in their own duties, suggesting a well-ordered realm.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Dharmagupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and support of sacred learning sustain dharma; when rulers uphold generosity and justice, society naturally follows svadharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the chapter’s overarching glorification is Dhanuṣkoṭi in the Setu-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna—giving wealth and land (kṣetra) to Brāhmaṇas as a dharmic act.