Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

धर्मे चैवाखिलं विश्वं स धर्मो व्यग्रतां कथम् । गतः स्वामिंस्तद्वैयग्र्यं तथ्यं कथय सुव्रत

Transliteration

dharme caivākhilaṃ viśvaṃ sa dharmo vyagratāṃ katham | gataḥ svāmiṃstadvaiyagryaṃ tathyaṃ kathaya suvrata

Translation

Wahrlich, im Dharma ruht dieses ganze Universum; wie konnte denn eben dieser Dharma in Unruhe geraten? O Ehrwürdiger, sage mir wahrhaftig die Ursache dieser Verstörung, du mit vortrefflichen Gelübden.

Word by Word

• धर्मे: in dharma / in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अखिलम्: entire, whole
• अखिलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सः: that / he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• व्यग्रताम्: agitation, distraction
• व्यग्रताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यग्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• गतः: has gone / has become
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण/वाक्यक्रिया-समानार्थकः

• स्वामिन्: O lord
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (demonstrative)

• वैयग्र्यम्: restlessness, agitation
• वैयग्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैयग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तथ्यम्: true, factual
• तथ्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कथय: tell, explain
• कथय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सु + व्रत)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Revered teacher (contextually Vyāsa in the following verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal or sage-assembly: a respectful questioner addresses a revered teacher about how Dharma—depicted as a luminous pillar or bull—could become disturbed; the cosmos subtly shown resting upon Dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Universe (viśva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Questioning apparent contradictions about Dharma deepens understanding: cosmic Dharma is firm, yet personal minds can be disturbed—hence the need for guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the contextual sacred setting; the verse frames the theological significance of events occurring there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an appeal for truthful explanation (tathya-kathana).