Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं देहि मे स्थानं कृत्वाऽपसरणं स्वयम् । न हि दत्त्वा ग्रही ष्यामि विप्रेभ्यो मेदिनीं पुनः

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ dehi me sthānaṃ kṛtvā'pasaraṇaṃ svayam | na hi dattvā grahī ṣyāmi viprebhyo medinīṃ punaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എനിക്ക് ഒരു സ്ഥലം തരികയും നീ സ്വയം പിന്മാറികയും ചെയ്യുക. ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ഒരിക്കൽ ഭൂമി ദാനം ചെയ്ത ശേഷം ഞാൻ വീണ്ടും ആ ഭൂമി തിരികെ എടുക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अर्थे—‘अतः/तस्मात्’ (therefore/from that)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन-रूप ‘मे’; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to me)

• स्थानम्: place, position
• स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अपसरणम्: withdrawal, moving away
• अपसरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसरण (प्रातिपदिक; अप-√सृ/सरण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘अपसरणं कृत्वा’ = ‘withdrawing’

• स्वयम्: yourself, personally
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• ग्रहीष्यामि: I will take/accept
• ग्रहीष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्रेभ्यः: from the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th) / पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; अत्र अपादानार्थे ‘from the brāhmaṇas’

• मेदिनीम्: the earth, land
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Paraśurāma (Bhārgava) speaking (deduced from first-person vow and context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (coastal tīrtha zone implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A resolute king/donor addresses the Ocean, requesting a settled place while affirming he will not reclaim land once donated to brāhmaṇas; the shoreline and ritual boundary-stones are visible.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma (Bhārgava)
• Brāhmaṇas (vipra)
• Medinī (earth/land)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A gift given in dharma should not be reclaimed; steadfastness in dāna and vows is portrayed as moral integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-centered tīrthamāhātmya narrative of this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The ethical rule governing dāna is emphasized: once land is gifted to brāhmaṇas as dakṣiṇā/dāna, it should not be taken back.