Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74
राजोवाच । ब्रह्मादीनां परं क्षेत्रं धर्मारण्यमनुत्तमम् । ब्रह्मविष्णु महेशाद्या नेदानीमत्र संति ते
rājovāca | brahmādīnāṃ paraṃ kṣetraṃ dharmāraṇyamanuttamam | brahmaviṣṇu maheśādyā nedānīmatra saṃti te
ৰাজাই ক’লে: ‘ধৰ্মাৰণ্য ব্ৰহ্মা আদি সকলৰ পৰম, অনুত্তম পবিত্ৰ ক্ষেত্ৰ। তথাপি এতিয়া ইয়াত ব্ৰহ্মা, বিষ্ণু, মহেশ আদি উপস্থিত নহয়।’
King (Rājā)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Scene: A king in a forest-kshetra gestures toward empty sacred space—altars, ancient trees, and a quiet clearing—questioning where Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa are; brāhmaṇas stand composed, ready to answer.
FAQs
A place can be intrinsically holy (kṣetra-māhātmya) even when divine manifestations are not visibly present; faith and dharma sustain sacredness.
Dharmāraṇya is explicitly praised as anuttama-kṣetra, a foremost sacred region.
None in this verse; it functions as kṣetra-stuti (praise of the sacred region).