Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

पंचपञ्चाशतो ग्रामान्ददौ रामः पुरा स्वयम् । तत्रस्था वणिजश्चैव तेषां वृत्तिमकल्पयन्

Transliteration

paṃcapañcāśato grāmāndadau rāmaḥ purā svayam | tatrasthā vaṇijaścaiva teṣāṃ vṛttimakalpayan

Translation

قدیم زمانے میں خود رام نے پچپن گاؤں عطا کیے؛ وہاں کے تاجروں نے ان کے لیے روزی روٹی کا بندوبست کر دیا۔

Word by Word

• पंचपञ्चाशतः: of fifty-five
• पंचपञ्चाशतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca-pañcāśat (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पञ्चाशत्-शब्दः), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘पञ्चपञ्चाशत्’ = 55, तस्य षष्ठी — Genitive singular (of fifty-five)

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative plural

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time) — formerly/once

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-emphasis (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: आत्मवाचक-अव्यय — reflexive indeclinable (himself)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — locative adverb (there)

• स्थाः: residing
• स्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stha (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था, क्त/क्तवत्-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘स्थित’ अर्थे (तत्र-स्थ) — Masculine, Nominative plural; standing/residing

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṇij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (वणिजः = वणिजः/वणिजाः; छन्दोवशात्) — Masculine, Nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय — conjunction (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय — emphatic particle (indeed/just)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• वृत्तिम्: livelihood, means of subsistence
• वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• अकल्पयन्: arranged/provided
• अकल्पयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kḷp (कॢप्) with a- (अ) + causative sense
• Form: लङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘अ-कल्पयन्’ = they arranged/provided — Imperfect, 3rd person plural

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma (as ideal king) performs a formal land-grant ceremony: copperplate/scroll, water-pouring (udaka-dāna), witnesses; nearby, merchants set up granaries and marketplaces ensuring steady livelihood for the brāhmaṇa settlement.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vaṇij (merchants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through righteous patronage: rulers give, and society supports sacred communities with sustainable livelihoods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it highlights charitable patronage connected to the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of village grants and practical support (vṛtti) for the religious community.