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

Sau khi ban cấp ruộng đất, Rāmacandra hết lần này đến lần khác khẩn cầu các bậc chúa tể tương lai của cõi đất: “Đây là chiếc cầu của dharma, chung cho các vua; trong thời của mỗi người, hãy gìn giữ và hộ trì.”

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’.