Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मया तत्राद्भुतं दृष्टं श्रुतं च मुनिसत्तम । धर्म्मारण्यकथां दिव्यां कृष्णद्वैपायनेरिताम्

Transliteration

mayā tatrādbhutaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ ca munisattama | dharmmāraṇyakathāṃ divyāṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyaneritām

Translation

Là, je vis des merveilles, et j’entendis aussi, ô le meilleur des sages, le récit divin de Dharmāraṇya, proclamé par Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa).

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अद्भुतम्: a wondrous thing
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मरूपेण ‘दृष्टम्/श्रुतम्’ इत्यस्य विषयः)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त; क्त, past passive participle)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त; ‘was seen’

• श्रुतम्: was heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त; ‘was heard’

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

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मुनीनां सत्तमः’

• धर्मारण्यकथाम्: the Dharmāraṇya story
• धर्मारण्यकथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धर्मारण्यस्य कथा’

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

• कृष्णद्वैपायनेरिताम्: uttered/propounded by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनेरिताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्णद्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक) + ईरित (कृदन्त; √ईर्/ईर्-प्रेरणे, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृष्णद्वैपायनेन ईरिता’ (instrumental agent implied); विशेषण (कथाम्)

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama recounts having seen wonders and heard the divine Dharmāraṇya-kathā proclaimed by Vyāsa; a celestial audience scene with Vyāsa as luminous teacher.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatness of a sacred place is transmitted through an authorized lineage of narration, making the Mahātmya both wondrous and trustworthy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is explicitly named as the sacred locus whose divine kathā is being introduced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse highlights śravaṇa of the Dharmāraṇya-kathā as a meritorious act.