Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

बहुभिर्बहुधा भुक्ता राजभिः पृथिवी त्वियम् । यस्ययस्य यदा भूमिस्तस्यतस्य तदा फलम्

Transliteration

bahubhirbahudhā bhuktā rājabhiḥ pṛthivī tviyam | yasyayasya yadā bhūmistasyatasya tadā phalam

Translation

แผ่นดินนี้กษัตริย์มากมายได้เสวยประโยชน์นานาประการ; คราใดที่ดินอยู่ในครอบครองของผู้ใด ครานั้นผลแห่งการใช้และอารักขาย่อมเป็นของผู้นั้น

Word by Word

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे), बहुवचनम्

• बहुधा: in many ways/many times
• बहुधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• भुक्ता: enjoyed/possessed
• भुक्ता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावः (enjoyed/possessed)

• राजभिः: by kings
• राजभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे), बहुवचनम्

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• यस्य: of whichever (one)
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः (distributive)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधकः (temporal conjunction: when)

• भूमिः: the land
• भूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of that very (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः (distributive)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (then)

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Brahmā (to Nārada, inferred)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic panorama of successive kings: a procession of crowned figures fading into the past while the same earth remains; in the foreground, a current king holds a plough/scroll, signifying stewardship and responsibility for the land’s fruit.

Characters & Entities

• kings (rājānaḥ)
• pṛthivī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Possession of land is temporary; responsibility and consequences (phala) follow the current holder’s actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general dharmic maxim within the Dharmāraṇya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches ethical governance and karmic accountability tied to land.