Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16
वेदाध्ययनजं शब्दं श्रुत्वा दूरात्स दानवः । विव्यथे स यथा राजन्वज्राहत इव द्विपः
vedādhyayanajaṃ śabdaṃ śrutvā dūrātsa dānavaḥ | vivyathe sa yathā rājanvajrāhata iva dvipaḥ
Entendant de loin le son né de l’étude et de la récitation des Vedas, ce Dānava fut saisi de douleur et de tremblement—ô Roi—tel un éléphant frappé par la foudre.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative convention)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rājan (King)
Scene: From a distant hermitage, waves of luminous syllables emanate as golden-white ribbons; the dānava clutches himself in pain, recoiling like an elephant felled by Indra’s vajra.
FAQs
It teaches that Vedic recitation (veda-adhyayana) is not merely study but a protective, dharmic power—its sacred sound can subdue adharma and inner negativity.
The verse occurs within the Dharmāraṇya (Dharmāranya) context of the Skanda Purāṇa, emphasizing the sanctity of the forest/region renowned for dharma and Vedic practice (sthāna-māhātmya through the power of śabda).
No direct ritual like snāna or dāna is stated here; the implied prescription is veda-adhyayana—regular Vedic study/chanting as a dharmic discipline that generates spiritually potent śabda.