Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तदारभ्य सुविख्यातं धर्मालयमिति । श्रुतम् ददौ दाशरथिस्तत्र महादानानि षोडश

Transliteration

tadārabhya suvikhyātaṃ dharmālayamiti | śrutam dadau dāśarathistatra mahādānāni ṣoḍaśa

Translation

Von da an wurde es weithin berühmt als „Dharmālaya“. Dort spendete der Sohn Daśarathas, wie man überliefert hört, sechzehn große Gaben (mahādāna).

Word by Word

• तद्: from that (time)
• तद्: Apadana (Source/starting point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/आरम्भ-सीमा), एकवचन; ‘ततः’ अर्थे

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘आरभ्य’ = ‘आरम्भं कृत्वा/आरम्भात्’

• सुविख्यातम्: well-known
• सुविख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; ख्या-धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• धर्मालयम्: (as) Dharmālaya
• धर्मालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-निपात (quotative)

• श्रुतम्: was heard/was known
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दाशरथिः: the son of Daśaratha (Rāma)
• दाशरथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाशरथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there)

• महादानानि: great gifts/donations
• महादानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महानि दानानि)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः/विशेषणम् (number)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmālaya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma (Dāśarathi) at Dharmālaya presides over sixteen mahādānas: brahmins seated in rows, gifts arranged—cows, gold, cloth, vessels—under a sacred pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmālaya
• Rāma (Dāśarathi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s fame grows through acts of great charity—mahādāna performed at sacred places multiplies merit and sustains dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dharmālaya, presented as a renowned tīrtha linked with exemplary giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of ṣoḍaśa-mahādāna—sixteen major gifts/charities—at Dharmālaya.