Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

देवानामालयं यस्मात्तदेव भुवि दुर्लभम् । कुरुक्षेत्रे नरो राम ग्रहणे चन्द्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

devānāmālayaṃ yasmāttadeva bhuvi durlabham | kurukṣetre naro rāma grahaṇe candrasūryayoḥ

Translation

O Rāma, since this region is an abode of the devas, such a holy place is indeed rare upon the earth. At Kurukṣetra a man gains great puṇya, especially at the time of a lunar or solar eclipse.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• आलयम्: abode, dwelling
• आलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यस्मात्: from which, because of which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री. ‘भू’=पृथ्वी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तत्’)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राम: O Rāma
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ग्रहणे: at the eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च)

Speaker

Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa narrative voice; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred plain of Kurukṣetra with a tīrtha-tank/riverbank; pilgrims gathered at eclipse-time, priests chanting, offerings and dāna being given as the sun/moon is partially obscured.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kurukṣetra
• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truly divine places are rare; visiting a famed tīrtha with sacred timing (like an eclipse) intensifies merit and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is praised, framed as a rare ‘abode of the gods’ on earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance/participation at Kurukṣetra during lunar or solar eclipses (grahaṇa-kāla) is highlighted as especially meritorious.