Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्यसुवर्णाया हरिक्षेत्रस्य तस्य च । स्नानदानादिकं सर्वं वाराणस्या यवाधिकम्

Transliteration

dharmāraṇyasuvarṇāyā harikṣetrasya tasya ca | snānadānādikaṃ sarvaṃ vārāṇasyā yavādhikam

Translation

Im goldenen Dharmāraṇya und in jenem Harikṣetra bringt jede Handlung — rituelles Bad, Gabe und alles Weitere — Verdienst (puṇya), das das von Vārāṇasī übertrifft, wenn auch nur um ein einziges yava-Korn.

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्यसुवर्णायाः: of Suvarṇā (river) of Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्यसुवर्णायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य + सुवर्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; (धर्मारण्यस्य सुवर्णा)

• हरिक्षेत्रस्य: of Hari-kṣetra
• हरिक्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; (हरेः क्षेत्रम्)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्नानदानादिकम्: bathing, giving (charity), etc.
• स्नानदानादिकम्: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + दान + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व: (स्नानं च दानं च आदयः)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• यवाधिकम्: greater by (even) a barley-grain (i.e., slightly more)
• यवाधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यव + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक: (यवेन अधिकम्)

Speaker

Narrator (conveying the māhātmya teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-suvarṇā; Harikṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant ‘golden’ forest-kṣetra with shimmering light; pilgrims bathe in a sacred pool/river, give alms to brāhmaṇas, and worship at a Viṣṇu-centered Harikṣetra shrine; a subtle inscription-like motif compares the merit to Vārāṇasī by a ‘grain’.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Harikṣetra
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit depends not only on the act but on the kṣetra; certain sacred landscapes amplify snāna and dāna beyond even famed Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya (described as ‘golden’) and Harikṣetra, explicitly compared with Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) and dāna (charity), along with related observances, are recommended as highly fruitful in these kṣetras.