Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा सकलं पुण्यं रम्यं द्विजनिषे वितम् । ब्रह्मद्वेषाच्च तेनैव दाहितं च पुरं शुभम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā sakalaṃ puṇyaṃ ramyaṃ dvijaniṣe vitam | brahmadveṣācca tenaiva dāhitaṃ ca puraṃ śubham

Translation

Voyant ce lieu tout entier sacré, charmant et fréquenté par les brāhmaṇas, lui, par haine de Brahman et de l’ordre sacré, incendia la cité de bon augure.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (place)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy; meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful; delightful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजनिषेवितम्: frequented by the twice-born
• द्विजनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज + निषेवित (नि + सेव् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजैः निषेवितम् = frequented by brahmins)

• ब्रह्मद्वेषात्: from hatred of Brahmins/Brahman
• ब्रह्मद्वेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः/ब्राह्मणस्य द्वेषः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• दाहितम्: was burnt
• दाहितम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used predicatively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'burnt'

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious; splendid
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुरम् विशेषण)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon beholds a radiant, brāhmaṇa-filled sacred city in Dharmāraṇya and, driven by brahma-dveṣa, sets it ablaze; flames rise around huts, yajña-vedīs, and groves as sages scatter.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hatred toward the sacred (brahman, brāhmaṇas, dharma) leads to destructive acts; violating holy communities is portrayed as grave adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sanctity is emphasized as a brāhmaṇa-frequented, meritorious place—even its violation underscores its holiness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on the offense against a sacred settlement.