Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12
हर उवाच । धर्मारण्ये सुरपते ब्रह्महत्या न पीडयेत् । हत्या गवां द्विजातीनां बालस्य योषितामपि
hara uvāca | dharmāraṇye surapate brahmahatyā na pīḍayet | hatyā gavāṃ dvijātīnāṃ bālasya yoṣitāmapi
Hara bersabda: “Wahai penguasa para dewa, di Dharmāraṇya derita Brahmahatyā tidak menindas. Bahkan dosa karena membunuh sapi, kaum dvija (dua kali lahir), seorang anak, atau seorang wanita pun tidak menetap di sana.”
Śiva (Hara)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: Surapति/Devendra (Indra)
Scene: Śiva declares the extraordinary power of Dharmāraṇya; the forest seems luminous—trees, waters, and air subtly radiate sanctity; Indra’s face shifts from fear to relief.
FAQs
A sanctified place (kṣetra) empowered by divine will can neutralize even grave karmic burdens when approached with reverence and purity.
Dharmāraṇya is explicitly glorified as a kṣetra where severe sins do not afflict the devotee.
Implicitly, seeking refuge in the kṣetra; the explicit instruction to enter and bathe is given in the next verse.