Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 55

The Description of the Skanda Purāṇa’s Anukramaṇī

Index/Summary

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्यस्य माहात्म्यं ततः परमुदीरितम् । स्थाणुः स्कन्दाय भगवान्यत्र तत्त्वमुपादिशत् ॥ ५५ ॥

Transliteration

dharmāraṇyasya māhātmyaṃ tataḥ paramudīritam | sthāṇuḥ skandāya bhagavānyatra tattvamupādiśat || 55 ||

Translation

Ensuite est proclamée la gloire suprême de Dharmāraṇya — le lieu sacré où le Seigneur Sthāṇu (Śiva) enseigna à Skanda la vérité la plus haute.

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्यस्य: of Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + अरण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness, glorification
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; वाक्ये विषय/कर्मभाव

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परम्: supreme, further
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• उदीरितम्: was proclaimed/uttered
• उदीरितम्: Karma (कर्म; वर्णित-वस्तु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः

• स्थाणुः: Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• स्थाणुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्कन्दाय: to Skanda
• स्कन्दाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता; apposition to स्थाणुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• तत्त्वम्: the truth, principle
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• उपादिशत्: taught, instructed
• उपादिशत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Narada Purana’s contents in an anukramanika/synopsis style)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dharmaranya
• Sthanu (Shiva)
• Skanda (Kartikeya)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It flags Dharmāraṇya as a highly sanctifying kṣetra (holy region) whose greatness is tied to a revelatory teaching of tattva (ultimate truth) given by Lord Sthāṇu (Śiva), making the place a locus of both tīrtha-merit and jñāna.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By highlighting a kṣetra-mahātmya centered on a divine teacher (Śiva) and a divine recipient (Skanda), it reinforces Purāṇic bhakti through śravaṇa (hearing) and smaraṇa (remembering) of sacred places and divine teachings, which are classic supports for devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; instead, it functions as an anukramaṇikā cue pointing readers to a later/related section where tattva-upadeśa (doctrinal instruction) and tīrtha-mahātmya practices are detailed.