Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नानादेशात्समानीय स्थापितास्तत्र तैः सुरैः । आश्रमांश्च बहूंस्तत्र काजेशैरपि निर्मितान्

Transliteration

nānādeśātsamānīya sthāpitāstatra taiḥ suraiḥ | āśramāṃśca bahūṃstatra kājeśairapi nirmitān

Translation

Gathered from many lands, they were settled there by those gods. And many hermitages (āśramas) were also built there, constructed as well by the Kājeśas.

Word by Word

• नानादेशात्: from various regions
• नानादेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); 'नानादेश' = विविधदेश (various countries)

• समानीय: having brought together
• समानीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having brought/assembled'

• स्थापिताः: were established
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थापित (कृदन्त; णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक (locative adverb)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आश्रमान्: hermitages
• आश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक (locative adverb)

• काजेशैः: by the Kājeśas (name/agents)
• काजेशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काजेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); पाठानुसार-नाम (proper/unclear lexeme)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: 'also/even')

• निर्मितान्: built/constructed
• निर्मितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) + निर्मित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेष्य (qualifying आश्रमान्)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand migration of sages from diverse directions arriving with disciples; devas overseeing settlement; construction of multiple āśramas—kutīras, yajña-śālās, study pavilions—rising within the forest under divine supervision; ‘Kājeśas’ as builder-beings at work.

Characters & Entities

• Gods (Suras)
• Ṛṣis (implied from prior verse)
• Āśramas
• Kājeśāḥ
• Dharmāraṇya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine support works through creating dharmic institutions—settling sages and building āśramas—to sustain a tīrtha’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, depicted as a planned sacred landscape with established sages and numerous hermitages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is named; the verse stresses infrastructure for Vedic living—bringing sages and constructing āśramas.