Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तस्माद्गृहाणि रम्याणि प्रवदंति समाहिताः । भूपालाद्भूमिमादाय वृत्तिं चैवाभिवांछिताम्

Transliteration

tasmādgṛhāṇi ramyāṇi pravadaṃti samāhitāḥ | bhūpālādbhūmimādāya vṛttiṃ caivābhivāṃchitām

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവർ സമാഹിതചിത്തരായി പറഞ്ഞു—“അതുകൊണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് രമ്യമായ ഗൃഹങ്ങൾ നൽകുക; രാജാവിൽ നിന്ന് ഭൂമി ലഭ്യമാക്കി, ഞങ്ങൾ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ഉപജീവനവും ദാനം ചെയ്യുക।”

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• गृहाणि: houses, homes
• गृहाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (2nd/1st), बहुवचन

• रम्याणि: pleasant, beautiful
• रम्याणि: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'गृहाणि')

• प्रवदन्ति: they say, they declare
• प्रवदन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• समाहिताः: composed, attentive
• समाहिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense: composed/collected); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृविशेषण (qualifying implied speakers)

• भूपालात्: from the king
• भूपालात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भूः पालः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• भूमिम्: land
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु) → आदाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having taken)

• वृत्तिम्: livelihood, means of subsistence
• वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• अभिवाञ्छिताम्: desired, wished-for
• अभिवाञ्छिताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + वाञ्छ् (धातु) → अभिवाञ्छित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: desired); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'वृत्तिम्')

Speaker

The wives (bhāryāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful audience in a royal court: composed petitioners request homes and land; the king, embodying rājadharma, grants resources. In the distance, a temple/tīrtha indicates the sacred purpose of settlement.

Characters & Entities

• bhūpāla (king)
• bhūmi (land)
• gṛha (home)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Social dharma links kingship and welfare: stability of home and livelihood supports dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual; it implies dharmic giving/royal provision—homes, land, and means of livelihood.