Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पृथ्वीदानं पुरा कृत्वा गौतमेश्वरसंनिधौ । दत्त्वा हिरण्मयीं पृथ्वीं सार्वभौमास्ततः स्थिताः

Transliteration

pṛthvīdānaṃ purā kṛtvā gautameśvarasaṃnidhau | dattvā hiraṇmayīṃ pṛthvīṃ sārvabhaumāstataḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഗൗതമേശ്വരന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ‘പൃഥ്വീദാനം’ നടത്തി, ഭൂമിയുടെ സ്വർണമയ പ്രതിരൂപം ദാനം ചെയ്തു; തുടർന്ന് അവർ സർവ്വഭൗമാധിപതികളായി.

Word by Word

• पृथ्वीदानम्: gift of the earth
• पृथ्वीदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पृथिव्याः दानम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: formerly)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• गौतमेश्वरसंनिधौ: in the presence of Gautameśvara
• गौतमेश्वरसंनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतमेश्वर + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘गौतमेश्वरस्य संनिधिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• हिरण्मयीम्: golden
• हिरण्मयीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पृथ्वीम्)

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सार्वभौमाः: sovereigns, universal rulers
• सार्वभौमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्वभौम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Time/Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थ-क्रम/हेतु (adverb: ‘thereupon/then’)

• स्थिताः: stood/abided, became established
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘स्थित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narrator); verse states a result-tradition rather than a direct dialogue line

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A golden circular earth-model offered before a Śiva-liṅga at Gautameśvara, with kings and priests performing saṅkalpa and offering rites.

Characters & Entities

• Gautameśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at a Śiva-tīrtha with sincerity—especially symbolic gifts like pṛthvīdāna—yields both worldly stability and lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara—presented as the sanctifying locus where the rite becomes especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pṛthvīdāna: donating a golden ‘earth’ (a crafted model/embodiment of the world) in the presence of Gautameśvara.