Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैर्यदादौ संस्थापितं पुरा । अरण्यानां च सर्वेषां तीर्थानां च विशेषतः

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇuśivādyairyadādau saṃsthāpitaṃ purā | araṇyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

In uralter Zeit, gleich zu Beginn, von Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva und den übrigen Göttern gegründet—dieses Dharmāraṇya ist das erhabenste unter allen Wäldern und, ganz besonders, unter allen tīrtha, den heiligen Furten.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैः: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and others
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करणकारक-योग्य (instrumental plural)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time/order)

• संस्थापितम्: established
• संस्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (set/established)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• अरण्यानाम्: of forests
• अरण्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अरण्यानाम्)

• तीर्थानाम्: of sacred places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (contextual; praising Dharmāraṇya to Rāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred forest-kṣetra at the dawn of time, with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and other devas performing consecration rites—installing the sanctity of Dharmāraṇya; luminous tīrtha waters and ancient trees radiate holiness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in divine consecration; Dharmāraṇya is celebrated as preeminent due to its primordial स्थापना (establishment) by the highest deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya—praised as a supreme sacred forest and tīrtha within the Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa of the Brahmakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes the site’s authority and superiority as a tīrtha.