Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

राज्यं चक्रुर्वनस्यास्य पुरोधा द्विजसत्तमः । उवाच रामपुरतस्तीर्थमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

rājyaṃ cakrurvanasyāsya purodhā dvijasattamaḥ | uvāca rāmapuratastīrthamāhātmyamuttamam

Translation

Der vorzüglichste Brāhmaṇa, als Purohita wirkend, richtete für jene Waldgegend die rechte Ordnung ein — gleich einem Königreich —; und von Rāmapura aus verkündete er die höchste Größe des heiligen Tīrtha.

Word by Word

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they established/made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वनस्य: of the forest
• वनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरोधाः: the family priest
• पुरोधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रामपुरतः: from Rāmapura
• रामपुरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• तीर्थमाहात्म्यम्: the greatness of the tīrtha
• तीर्थमाहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying माहात्म्यम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); proclamation attributed to the Purohita (Dvijasattama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmapura-tīrtha (as proclamation point)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified brāhmaṇa-purohita stands in an assembly at Rāmapura, gesturing as he proclaims tīrtha greatness; behind him, the forest settlement appears orderly—paths, small shrines, yajña-grounds—like a ‘kingdom of dharma’.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmapura
• Purohita (Dvijasattama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred region flourishes when guided by dharmic leadership and priestly wisdom that publicizes the tīrtha’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmapura and its associated tīrtha within the Dharmāraṇya context are highlighted as possessing “uttama” māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces the authoritative proclamation of the tīrtha’s greatness.