Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शासनं द्विजवर्येभ्यो दत्त्वा ग्रामान्बहूंस्तथा । स्नात्वा चैव धर्म्मवाप्यां सुदानान्यददाद्गवाम्

Transliteration

śāsanaṃ dvijavaryebhyo dattvā grāmānbahūṃstathā | snātvā caiva dharmmavāpyāṃ sudānānyadadādgavām

Translation

اس نے افضل برہمنوں کو شاسن نامے (وقف نامے) عطا کیے اور بہت سے گاؤں بھی بخشے؛ پھر دھرم واپی میں اشنان کر کے گایوں کے بہترین دان دیے۔

Word by Word

• शासनम्: a grant/edict
• शासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्विजवर्येभ्यः: to the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजवर्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/Dative), बहुवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; “having given”

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ग्रामान्)

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; “having bathed”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• धर्म्मवाप्याम्: in the Dharmavāpī (sacred well/pond)
• धर्म्मवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• सुदानानि: excellent gifts
• सुदानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• अददात्: he gave
• अददात्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः)

Speaker

Narrator within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (contextual; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī (within Dharmāraṇya)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, serene after war, issues copper-plate-like grants to venerable brāhmaṇas; villagers witness; then he descends steps into a clear tank labeled Dharmavāpī, emerging to gift well-adorned cows to recipients.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavāpī
• Brāhmaṇas (dvija)
• Cow-gifts (go-dāna)
• Village grants
• Rāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected through charity and honoring the learned; tīrtha-bathing gains fullness when paired with dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, the sacred tank within Dharmāraṇya, is directly highlighted as a place for purifying bath (snāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Dharmavāpī and dāna—especially go-dāna and gifts to brāhmaṇas—are explicitly described.