Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा भूमिं भाविनः पार्थिवेशान्भूयोभूयो याचते रामचन्द्रः । सामान्योऽयं धर्मसेतुर्नृपाणां स्वे स्वे काले पालनीयो भवद्भिः

Transliteration

dattvā bhūmiṃ bhāvinaḥ pārthiveśānbhūyobhūyo yācate rāmacandraḥ | sāmānyo'yaṃ dharmaseturnṛpāṇāṃ sve sve kāle pālanīyo bhavadbhiḥ

Translation

ครั้นถวายที่ดินแล้ว พระรามจันทราทรงวิงวอนบรรดาเจ้าแผ่นดินในกาลภายหน้าอยู่เนือง ๆ ว่า: ‘นี่คือสะพานแห่งธรรมะอันเป็นของร่วมสำหรับกษัตริย์ทั้งหลาย; ในกาลของตน ๆ ท่านทั้งปวงพึงพิทักษ์รักษาไว้’

Word by Word

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive)

• bhūmim: land/earth
• bhūmim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• bhāvinaḥ: future, forthcoming
• bhāvinaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvin (प्रातिपदिक) < bhū (धाातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); विशेषणम् (pārthiveśān)

• pārthiveśān: kings (lords of the earth)
• pārthiveśān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pārthivasya īśāḥ)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्ययम् (again)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्ययम् (again)

• yācate: requests, begs
• yācate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धाातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् (3rd person singular, middle)

• rāmacandraḥ: Rāmacandra
• rāmacandraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (Rāma who is like the moon)

• sāmānyaḥ: common, general
• sāmānyaḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāmānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विधेय-विशेषणम् (dharmasetuḥ)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• dharmasetuḥ: bridge/boundary of dharma (rule of righteousness)
• dharmasetuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharmasya setuḥ)

• nṛpāṇām: of kings
• nṛpāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• sve: in one's own
• sve: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative Singular); विशेषणम् (kāle)

• sve: in each one's own
• sve: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative Singular); पुनरुक्ति-बलम्

• kāle: at the time
• kāle: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• pālanīyaḥ: to be protected/maintained
• pālanīyaḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāl (धाातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc. Nom. Sg.); विधेय-विशेषणम् (dharmasetuḥ)

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (honorific)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); आदरार्थक-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; Rāmacandra quoted as the entreating authority figure

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, dignified and calm, addresses a line of future kings shown as successive silhouettes/portraits; between them a symbolic bridge labeled ‘dharma-setu’ spanning time, with a copperplate grant held aloft.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmacandra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must be continuous across generations of rulers; protecting prior grants is a foundational royal duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is named; the verse centers on rāja-dharma and the sanctity of land grants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A governance prescription: future kings must preserve earlier donations/charters as a ‘dharma-setu’.