Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

भूमेरंगुलहर्ता हि स कथं पापमाचरेत् । भूमेरंगुलदाता च स कथं पुण्यमाचरेत्

Transliteration

bhūmeraṃgulahartā hi sa kathaṃ pāpamācaret | bhūmeraṃguladātā ca sa kathaṃ puṇyamācaret

Translation

Dia yang mencuri tanah walaupun selebar jari—bagaimana mungkin dia tidak melakukan dosa? Dan dia yang mendermakan tanah walaupun selebar jari—bagaimana mungkin dia tidak melakukan kebajikan?

Word by Word

• भूमेः: of land/earth
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Feminine, Genitive singular

• अङ्गुलहर्ता: one who steals a finger-breadth (of land)
• अङ्गुलहर्ता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल-हर्तृ (अङ्गुल + हर्तृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक); Indeclinable particle (indeed/for)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Nominative singular, Masculine

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय; Interrogative adverb (how)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• आचरेत्: should practice/commit
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Optative, 3rd person singular

• भूमेः: of land/earth
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Feminine, Genitive singular

• अङ्गुलदाता: one who gives a finger-breadth (of land)
• अङ्गुलदाता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल-दातृ (अङ्गुल + दातृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय; Conjunction (and)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Nominative singular, Masculine

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय; Interrogative adverb (how)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• आचरेत्: should practice/perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Optative, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Brahmā (to Nārada, inferred)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: on one side, a stealthy boundary-stealer measuring a finger’s breadth; on the other, a serene donor offering a small plot with water-pot and deed-leaf to a worthy recipient; the earth-goddess (Bhū-devī) witnesses, approving the gift and frowning on theft.

Characters & Entities

• bhūmi (land)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the smallest injustice in land matters is grave sin, and even a small sincere gift of land is powerful merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse is a universal dharma statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is bhū-dāna (donating land) and strict avoidance of land-theft.