Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । शृणुष्वैकाग्रमनसा येनाहं व्यग्रचेतसः । अस्ति स्थानं महापुण्यं धर्म्मारण्यं च भूतले

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | śṛṇuṣvaikāgramanasā yenāhaṃ vyagracetasaḥ | asti sthānaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ dharmmāraṇyaṃ ca bhūtale

Translation

Śiva said: “Listen with a single-pointed mind, for my heart is eager. Upon the earth there exists a supremely meritorious holy place—Dharmāraṇya, the Forest of Dharma.”

Word by Word

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• ekāgra-manasā: with one-pointed mind
• ekāgra-manasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekāgra (प्रातिपदिक) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणरूपेण (as adverbial qualifier: 'with a one-pointed mind')

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धे/हेतौ (by which/whereby)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vyagra-cetasaḥ: restless-minded
• vyagra-cetasaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyagra (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying implied 'we/people' or as predicate adjective)

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• sthānam: a place
• sthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); अत्र प्रथमा (as subject of 'asti')

• mahā-puṇyam: very holy
• mahā-puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying 'sthānam')

• dharmāraṇyam: Dharma-forest (Dharmāraṇya)
• dharmāraṇyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + āraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेष्य-समनाधिकरण (apposition to 'sthānam')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhūtale: on the earth
• bhūtale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene yet eager, addresses Skanda in a sacred grove; the ‘Dharmāraṇya’ is suggested by ancient trees, tīrtha markers, and a luminous atmosphere indicating hidden merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed listening and reverence toward sacred geography lead the seeker toward dharma and merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, introduced as a supremely meritorious sacred place on earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction is to listen attentively as the māhātmya begins.