Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

राजा स कृतकृत्योऽथ शेषं संगृह्य तद्धनम् । द्विजेभ्यो विधिवद्दत्त्वा पालयामास वै प्रजाः

Transliteration

rājā sa kṛtakṛtyo'tha śeṣaṃ saṃgṛhya taddhanam | dvijebhyo vidhivaddattvā pālayāmāsa vai prajāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ രാജാവ് കൃതകൃത്യനായി ശേഷിച്ച ധനം സമാഹരിച്ചു; വിധിപൂർവ്വം ദ്വിജബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ദാനം നൽകി, പ്രജകളെ യഥാവിധി പാലിച്ചു സംരക്ഷിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — pronoun ‘he’

• kṛta-kṛtyaḥ: having accomplished his duty
• kṛta-kṛtyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; कर्मधारयः: ‘one whose duty is done/fulfilled’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• śeṣam: the remainder
• śeṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• saṃgṛhya: having gathered
• saṃgṛhya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु) with preverb sam- + ktvā/lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — ‘having collected/gathered’

• tat-dhanam: that wealth
• tat-dhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः: ‘that wealth’

• dvijebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijebhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी (5th/4th), बहुवचन — ablative/dative plural; अत्र दानकर्मणि चतुर्थी (to the twice-born)

• vidhi-vat: properly, according to injunctions
• vidhi-vat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (adverb) — ‘according to rule’

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) + ktvā
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having given’

• pālayāmāsa: ruled/protected
• pālayāmāsa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pāl (धातु) (causative/णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative-stem pālaya-) — ‘protected/ruled’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण (indeed/emphatic particle)

• prajāḥ: the subjects/people
• prajāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural

Speaker

Agastya (narration continues from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa (frame) / audience of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharmic king, calm and fulfilled, gathers remaining treasure and offers it with ritual propriety to seated brāhmaṇas; behind him, the city of Ayodhyā and orderly subjects signify prajā-pālana.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)
• Dāna (charity)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth becomes sanctified through righteous giving, and kingship is perfected by protecting subjects after performing proper charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ayodhyā Māhātmya frames the narrative, though this verse emphasizes rāja-dharma rather than a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving the remaining wealth to dvijas ‘vidhivat’—in accordance with prescribed rules and rites (dāna-vidhi).