Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

दह्यमानं पुरं दृष्ट्वा प्रणष्टा द्विजसत्तमाः । यथागतं प्रजग्मुस्ते धर्मारण्यनिवासिनः

Transliteration

dahyamānaṃ puraṃ dṛṣṭvā praṇaṣṭā dvijasattamāḥ | yathāgataṃ prajagmuste dharmāraṇyanivāsinaḥ

Translation

Als sie die brennende Stadt sahen, flohen die vornehmsten Brahmanen; die Bewohner Dharmāraṇyas zogen fort und kehrten auf dem Weg zurück, auf dem sie gekommen waren.

Word by Word

• दह्यमानम्: being burnt
• दह्यमानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (Present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पुरम् विशेषण)

• पुरम्: the city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund)

• प्रणष्टाः: perished; were destroyed
• प्रणष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (द्विजसत्तमाः विशेषण/विधेय)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• यथागतम्: as they had come; in the same manner
• यथागतम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + गत (गम् धातु)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषण (as (they) had come/according to arrival)

• प्रजग्मुः: went away
• प्रजग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• धर्मारण्यनिवासिनः: the residents of Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्यनिवासिनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मारण्ये निवासिनः)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas and residents of Dharmāraṇya, carrying minimal belongings—manuscripts, waterpots, sacrificial tools—depart along the path they came, while smoke rises behind them from the burning city.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma erupts, even holy communities may be displaced; the Purāṇic arc then moves toward restoration and protection of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the community and sacred landscape whose residents are forced to leave.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the flight of the brāhmaṇas and residents.