Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

यो राजा पृथिवीं दद्याद्विधिनानेन पार्थिव । राज्यभ्रंशो न वंशेऽपि तस्य संजायते क्वचित्

Transliteration

yo rājā pṛthivīṃ dadyādvidhinānena pārthiva | rājyabhraṃśo na vaṃśe'pi tasya saṃjāyate kvacit

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഈ വിധിപ്രകാരം പൃഥ്വീദാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന രാജാവിന്, അവന്റെ വംശത്തിലും ഒരിക്കലും രാജ്യഭ്രംശം സംഭവിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun: “who”)

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject, apposition to yaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pṛthivīm: the earth/land
• pṛthivīm: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — “should give”

• vidhinā: by the proper rite
• vidhinā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Method)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• anena: by this
• anena: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—विधिना (by this)

• pārthiva: O king
• pārthiva: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• rājya-bhraṃśaḥ: loss of kingdom
• rājya-bhraṃśaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhraṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“राज्यस्य भ्रंशः” (loss of kingdom)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• vaṃśe: in the lineage
• vaṃśe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (particle: “even/also”)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃjāyate: arises
• saṃjāyate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√jan (जन्)
• Form: लट् (present indicative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — “arises/occurs”

• kvacit: ever
• kvacit: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालानिर्देश (indefinite adverb: “ever/anywhere/at any time”)

Speaker

Unknown (didactic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king performs a formal land-gift rite: a symbolic earth-clod or golden model of land is offered to a brāhmaṇa amid fire-altar and witnesses; the scene conveys royal stability and solemn resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthivī
• Rājā
• Vaṃśa (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous generosity safeguards worldly order; a king’s dharmic charity is portrayed as a spiritual cause of political stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears; the verse praises the fruit (phala) of the earth-gift rite within the tīrtha-mahātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pṛthivīdāna strictly “according to this vidhi” to obtain the stated protective merit.