Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तत्र धर्मो महातेजाः कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । वाच्यमानां तु शुश्राव व्यासेनामिततेजसा

Transliteration

tatra dharmo mahātejāḥ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm | vācyamānāṃ tu śuśrāva vyāsenāmitatejasā

Translation

Là, Dharma, rayonnant d’une grande splendeur, entendit un récit sacré qui anéantit le péché, tandis qu’il était proclamé par Vyāsa, d’une lumière sans mesure.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• धर्मः: Dharma (personified)
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महातेजाः: of great splendour
• महातेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (विशेषण-विशेष्य: 'great' + 'splendour')

• कथाम्: story; discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापप्रणाशिनीम्: sin-destroying
• पापप्रणाशिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pāpa-pranāśinī = 'destroyer of sin')

• वाच्यमानाम्: being spoken/recited
• वाच्यमानाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वाच्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (Linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: 'but/indeed')

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

• व्यासेन: by Vyāsa
• व्यासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अमिततेजसा: of immeasurable splendour
• अमिततेजसा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (विशेषण-विशेष्य: 'immeasurable' + 'splendour')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma (personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, radiant and authoritative, recites a sacred account in a forest assembly; Dharma appears personified as a luminous figure listening intently, surrounded by sages and subtle divine witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (personified)
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to Purāṇic kathā, especially from a realized sage like Vyāsa, is portrayed as a purifier that destroys sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred setting where this pāpa-nāśinī kathā is heard, underscoring the site’s sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening to the sacred narration (kathā-śravaṇa) is the implied practice; no other ritual details are given.