Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

साधु पृष्टं त्वया राजन्वाराणस्यधिकाधिकम् । धर्मारण्यं नृपश्रेष्ठ श्रृणुष्वावहितो भृशम्

Transliteration

sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā rājanvārāṇasyadhikādhikam | dharmāraṇyaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha śrṛṇuṣvāvahito bhṛśam

Translation

王よ、ヴァーラーナシーのいよいよ増す偉大さについて、汝は善く問うた。統治者の中の最勝よ、我が語るダルマアラニヤを、心を澄ませて聴け。

Word by Word

• sādhu: well, good
• sādhu: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसावाचक-निपात (particle of approval)

• pṛṣṭam: asked
• pṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु) → pṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘asked’

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया? (incorrect) → तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• vārāṇasyāḥ: of Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• adhika-adhikam: all the more, exceedingly
• adhika-adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (intensive reduplication) ‘exceedingly more’

• dharma-araṇyam: Dharma-forest (Dharmāraṇya)
• dharma-araṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘धर्मस्य अरण्यम्’

• nṛpa-śreṣṭha: O best of kings
• nṛpa-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• avahitaḥ: attentive
• avahitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-hita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘attentive’ (agreeing with implied ‘tvam’)

• bhṛśam: greatly, intensely
• bhṛśam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of intensity)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (within Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājan / nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener respectfully questions; the sage praises the question and invites concentrated listening, setting a didactic tone for the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry and attentive listening are presented as the doorway to understanding the glory of a tīrtha and the path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) and, specifically within it, Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse enjoins attentive hearing (śravaṇa) of the māhātmya.