Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धर्मोपदेशात्कृष्णेन ब्रह्मणा च शिवेन च । स्वेस्वे स्थाने यथायोग्ये स्थापयामास केशवः

Transliteration

dharmopadeśātkṛṣṇena brahmaṇā ca śivena ca | svesve sthāne yathāyogye sthāpayāmāsa keśavaḥ

Translation

Selon l’enseignement du dharma transmis par Kṛṣṇa, par Brahmā et par Śiva, Keśava établit dûment chacun en son lieu propre, conformément à l’aptitude et à la règle.

Word by Word

• धर्मोपदेशात्: from (the act of) instruction in dharma
• धर्मोपदेशात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य उपदेशः)

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Karta (Agent, instrumental in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karta (Agent, instrumental in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karta (Agent, instrumental in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• स्वे: in one’s own
• स्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्वे: in his respective
• स्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (each in his own)

• स्थाने: place/position
• स्थाने: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: as/according to)

• योग्ये: appropriate
• योग्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थाने)

• स्थापयामास: established/placed
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: स्थापयति)

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa (narrative context; verse is third-person narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava, as divine organizer, establishes groups in their proper places while Brahmā and Śiva stand as witnesses/teachers of dharma; a sacred forest setting with hermitages and ritual fires in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Brahmā
• Śiva
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld when beings are guided by divine instruction and placed in roles and locations suited to their nature and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya, presented as a sacred forest-region where dharmic order and settlement are established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes dharmic instruction and proper establishment (sthāpanā) according to suitability.