Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

धर्मालये गतः सद्यो यत्र माला कमंडलुः । पुरा धर्मेण सुमहत्कृतं यत्र तपो मुने

Transliteration

dharmālaye gataḥ sadyo yatra mālā kamaṃḍaluḥ | purā dharmeṇa sumahatkṛtaṃ yatra tapo mune

Translation

ثم مضى في الحال إلى «دهرمالايا» (Dharmālaya)، حيث تُوقَّر الإكليلُ وكَمَنْدَلو الناسك؛ وحيث، أيها الحكيم، قام دارما نفسه في الأزمنة السالفة بتقشّفٍ عظيم.

Word by Word

• धर्मालये: in the abode of Dharma
• धर्मालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य आलयः)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• माला: garland
• माला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कमण्डलुः: water-pot (ascetic’s vessel)
• कमण्डलुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• धर्मेण: by Dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (where)

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmālaya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (addressed as 'O sage')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet hermitage-kshetra called Dharmālaya: a revered garland and kamaṇḍalu displayed or enshrined; the atmosphere suggests Dharma’s ancient austerities lingering in the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmālaya
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A place becomes a tīrtha through tapas and the presence of dharma—ascetic symbols and remembered austerities sanctify the landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dharmālaya, explicitly named as a sacred destination within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it highlights tapas as the sanctifying act and signals Dharmālaya as a pilgrimage site.