Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वृत्रहत्यासमुत्त्रस्तदेवराजस्य सन्निधौ । इन्द्रेश्वरस्तदा तत्र धर्मा रण्ये स्थितो नृप

Transliteration

vṛtrahatyāsamuttrastadevarājasya sannidhau | indreśvarastadā tatra dharmā raṇye sthito nṛpa

Translation

Ô roi, là, dans Dharmāraṇya, en la présence même du seigneur des dieux—Indra, effrayé par le meurtre de Vṛtra—Indreśvara fut alors établi.

Word by Word

• वृत्र-हत्या-समुत्त्रस्तः: terrified due to the killing of Vṛtra
• वृत्र-हत्या-समुत्त्रस्तः: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛtra + hatyā + sam-ut-trasta (त्रस्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वृत्रहत्यया समुत्त्रस्तः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (instrumental determinative)

• देव-राजस्य: of the king of gods (Indra)
• देव-राजस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; देवानां राजा इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• इन्द्र-ईश्वरः: Indreśvara (Lord for Indra)
• इन्द्र-ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य ईश्वरः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तदा: then
• तदा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

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

• धर्म-अरण्ये: in Dharmāraṇya (forest of Dharma)
• धर्म-अरण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; धर्मस्य अरण्यम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्थितः: was situated / stayed
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (स्था-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

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

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Indreśvara in Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, shaken by the sin of Vṛtra-slaying, stands in Dharmāraṇya before the newly established Indreśvara; the atmosphere shifts from fear to relief as the shrine becomes a sanctuary.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Devarāja)
• Indreśvara (Śiva-liṅga/title)
• Dharmāraṇya
• Vṛtrahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra becomes a living refuge: the Lord’s established presence turns fear and impurity into worship and renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where Indreśvara is established in connection with Indra’s expiation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicitly in this verse; the surrounding context emphasizes snāna in Dharmāraṇya and worship of Indreśvara for pāpa-kṣaya.