Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यदा तु वृत्तिं ग्रामांश्च वणिजानां बलिं तथा । पूर्वं स्थितं तु यत्किंचित्तत्तद्दास्यति वाडवाः

Transliteration

yadā tu vṛttiṃ grāmāṃśca vaṇijānāṃ baliṃ tathā | pūrvaṃ sthitaṃ tu yatkiṃcittattaddāsyati vāḍavāḥ

Translation

Namun apabila (raja) mengurniakan elaun sara hidup, desa-desa, serta ufti/cukai adat daripada para pedagang—apa pun yang telah ditetapkan dahulu, wahai Vāḍavāḥ, itulah yang akan diberikannya tepat sebagaimana adanya.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वृत्तिम्: livelihood/maintenance
• वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वणिजानाम्: of the merchants
• वणिजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• बलिम्: tribute/tax
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (likewise)

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• स्थितम्: existing/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'यत्-किंचित्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• यत्: whatever which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• किंचित्: anything at all
• किंचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (something/anything)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• तत्: that (very)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वाडवाः: the mares (female horses)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Hanumān (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāḍavāḥ (addressed group)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm court scene: scribes and ministers present records of villages and dues; the king agrees to restore the earlier fixed livelihood to merchants/beneficiaries; the atmosphere shifts from threat to settlement.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• vāḍavāḥ
• vaṇijaḥ (merchants)
• rājā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance preserves social order by honoring established obligations and fair dues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is administrative in tone, within the Dharmāraṇya narrative that culminates in Rāmatīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the prescription is dhārmic conduct—granting vṛtti, villages, and fair merchant dues as formerly established.