Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शासनानि प्रदत्तानि ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् । अन्यैः पार्थिवशार्दूलैस्तेन तानि हृतान्यलम्

Transliteration

śāsanāni pradattāni brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām | anyaiḥ pārthivaśārdūlaistena tāni hṛtānyalam

Translation

Ông ngang nhiên tịch thu các sắc phong và ruộng đất cúng dường vốn do những vị vua khác—oai hùng như sư tử—ban cho các bậc Bà-la-môn đại tâm.

Word by Word

• śāsanāni: grants, charters, edicts
• śāsanāni: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• pradattāni: given, bestowed
• pradattāni: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra- (उपसर्ग) + dā (दा-धातु) + datta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• brāhmaṇānām: of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled
• mahātmanām: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा येषाम्)

• anyaiḥ: by others
• anyaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• pārthivaśārdūlaiḥ: by tiger-like kings (mighty rulers)
• pārthivaśārdūlaiḥ: Karana (करण/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपमान-प्रयोगः (पार्थिवानां शार्दूलाः = ‘tigers among kings’)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (करण/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tāni: those (grants)
• tāni: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• hṛtāni: taken away, seized
• hṛtāni: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (हृ-धातु) + hṛta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used predicatively (‘were taken away’)

• alam: completely, indeed
• alam: Emphasis/Adverbial (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पर्याप्त्यर्थक/अतिशयार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘enough/indeed/utterly’)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: a Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Royal officers remove copper-plate grants and boundary markers from a peaceful brahmin settlement; elderly Brāhmaṇas raise hands in protest while the king’s banner looms, signaling state-backed injustice.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• kings (pārthiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seizing what was righteously donated—especially to Brāhmaṇas—is portrayed as a grave breach of rājadharma that generates heavy demerit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as moral groundwork within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse condemns the anti-dharmic act of confiscating established gifts/grants.