Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

द्विजानां भूमिदानार्थं मार्गमाणः पदेपदे । निर्दोषां च पवित्रां च तीर्थेष्वपि समन्विताम्

Transliteration

dvijānāṃ bhūmidānārthaṃ mārgamāṇaḥ padepade | nirdoṣāṃ ca pavitrāṃ ca tīrtheṣvapi samanvitām

Translation

เพื่อถวายทานเป็นที่ดินแก่เหล่าทวิชะ ข้าพเจ้าได้เสาะหาในทุกย่างก้าว—แผ่นดินที่ปราศจากมลทินและบริสุทธิ์ยิ่ง อีกทั้งเปี่ยมด้วยความศักดิ์สิทธิ์ดุจมีอยู่ในเหล่าตีรถะด้วย

Word by Word

• द्विजानाम्: of the twice-born
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)’

• भूमिदानार्थम्: for the purpose of gifting land
• भूमिदानार्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; द्वितीया-एकवचन रूपेण प्रयोजनार्थक अव्यय ‘for the purpose of land-gift’

• मार्गमाणः: seeking
• मार्गमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृग्/मार्ग् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘seeking’

• पदे: at a step
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; with repetition ‘at every step’

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

• निर्दोषाम्: faultless
• निर्दोषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (object described)

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

• पवित्राम्: pure
• पवित्राम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• तीर्थेषु: in tīrthas
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘in holy places’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/even’

• समन्विताम्: endowed (with)
• समन्विताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अनु-√इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘endowed/possessed’ (qualifies implied object)

Speaker

Bhṛgu (contextual, speaking to Nārada)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhṛgu (inner listener); Pārtha/Arjuna (outer listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator describes searching step by step for ideal land to donate: imagery of surveying fields near sacred waters, consulting sages, and envisioning a tīrtha-infused donation site.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Nārada
• Dvija (twice-born)
• Bhūmidāna (land-gift)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes exalted when guided by purity and discernment—bhūmidāna is framed as a sacred act requiring an unblemished place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrtha-like purity; the narrative soon points to the Mahī river’s confluence with the ocean as the exceptional locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūmidāna (donation of land) for dvijas is the featured dharmic act.