Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एकैव भगिनी लोके सर्वेषामेव भूभुजाम् । न भोज्या न करग्राह्या विप्रदत्ता वसुंधरा

Transliteration

ekaiva bhaginī loke sarveṣāmeva bhūbhujām | na bhojyā na karagrāhyā vipradattā vasuṃdharā

Translation

Trong đời này, đất mẹ là người chị em chung duy nhất của mọi bậc quân vương. Ruộng đất đã bố thí cho các brāhmaṇa thì không được hưởng như của riêng, cũng không được thu thuế trên đó.

Word by Word

• ekā: one, single
• ekā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (only/just)

• bhaginī: sister
• bhaginī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (indeed/only)

• bhūbhujām: of kings (earth-rulers)
• bhūbhujām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhūmim bhunakti iti)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (not)

• bhojyā: to be enjoyed/consumed
• bhojyā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuj (धाातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive/potential passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Fem. Nom. Sg.); विधेय-विशेषणम् (vasuṃdharā)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (not)

• karagrāhyā: to be seized by hand
• karagrāhyā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + grāhya (प्रातिपदिक) < grah (धाातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (karasya grāhyā = 'to be taken by hand')

• vipradattā: given to a Brahmin
• vipradattā: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + datta (प्रातिपदिक) < dā (धाातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Past participle, Fem. Nom. Sg.); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (vipreṇa/viprasya dattā)

• vasuṃdharā: the earth
• vasuṃdharā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasuṃdharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhū-devī depicted as a dignified sister figure between multiple kings, holding a boundary rope/measure; a brāhmaṇa receives a land-grant copperplate while a king withdraws his tax-collector’s staff in restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kings must honor dharma by safeguarding brāhmaṇa endowments; such granted land is protected from royal appropriation and taxation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching concerns governance and sanctity of religious grants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A governance injunction is given: do not levy tax and do not treat as personal enjoyment land that has been donated to brāhmaṇas.