Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तत्र धर्मो महातेजाः कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । वाच्यमानां तु शुश्राव व्यासेनामिततेजसा

Transliteration

tatra dharmo mahātejāḥ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm | vācyamānāṃ tu śuśrāva vyāsenāmitatejasā

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯಾದ ಧರ್ಮನು, ಅಮಿತತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯಾದ ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪಾಪನಾಶಿನಿಯಾದ ಆ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಶ್ರವಣಮಾಡಿದನು.

Word by Word

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

• धर्मः: Dharma (personified)
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महातेजाः: of great splendour
• महातेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (विशेषण-विशेष्य: 'great' + 'splendour')

• कथाम्: story; discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापप्रणाशिनीम्: sin-destroying
• पापप्रणाशिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pāpa-pranāśinī = 'destroyer of sin')

• वाच्यमानाम्: being spoken/recited
• वाच्यमानाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वाच्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (Linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: 'but/indeed')

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यासेन: by Vyāsa
• व्यासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अमिततेजसा: of immeasurable splendour
• अमिततेजसा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (विशेषण-विशेष्य: 'immeasurable' + 'splendour')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma (personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, radiant and authoritative, recites a sacred account in a forest assembly; Dharma appears personified as a luminous figure listening intently, surrounded by sages and subtle divine witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (personified)
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to Purāṇic kathā, especially from a realized sage like Vyāsa, is portrayed as a purifier that destroys sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred setting where this pāpa-nāśinī kathā is heard, underscoring the site’s sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening to the sacred narration (kathā-śravaṇa) is the implied practice; no other ritual details are given.