Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रक्षणार्थं द्विजातीनां माहात्म्यं शृणु भूपते । शुक्लांबरधरा दिव्या हेमभूषणभूषिता

Transliteration

rakṣaṇārthaṃ dvijātīnāṃ māhātmyaṃ śṛṇu bhūpate | śuklāṃbaradharā divyā hemabhūṣaṇabhūṣitā

Translation

Pour la protection des deux-fois-nés, écoute, ô seigneur de la terre, sa grandeur. Elle est divine, vêtue de blanc, parée d’ornements d’or.

Word by Word

• rakṣaṇārtham: for protection
• rakṣaṇārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनार्थक: 'rakṣaṇasya arthaḥ' (for the purpose of protection); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative of purpose)

• dvijātīnām: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• dvijātīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• māhātmyam: greatness, glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• bhūpate: O king
• bhūpate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• śuklāmbara-dharā: wearing white garments
• śuklāmbara-dharā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक) + dharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (instrumental/accusative relation implied): 'śuklam ambaraṃ dharati' → 'śuklāmbara-dharā'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• divyā: divine
• divyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hemabhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitā: adorned with golden ornaments
• hemabhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣitā (√bhūṣ + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'hema-bhūṣaṇaiḥ bhūṣitā' (adorned with golden ornaments); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandā-Devī kṣetra (Dharmāraṇyaka context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine goddess in white garments appears or is described before a listening king; she shines with golden ornaments; the setting suggests a sacred grove/city-temple precinct; the narrator gestures as if unveiling her greatness for protection of dvijas.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijāti
• Bhūpati (king)
• Śakti/devī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to and preserving tīrtha-māhātmya strengthens dharma and invokes divine protection for society’s dharmic orders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya region and the goddess’s protective presence celebrated through its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of the māhātmya is implied as a meritorious practice; no other rite is specified in this verse.