Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्यं विना वाद्य क्षुधा वः शाम्यति धुवम्

Transliteration

dharmāraṇyaṃ vinā vādya kṣudhā vaḥ śāmyati dhuvam

Translation

“ໂດຍບໍ່ຈໍາເປັນອອກຈາກ ທັມມາຣັນຍະ ແທ້ໆແລ້ວ ຄວາມຫິວຂອງພວກທ່ານຈະສົງບລົງແນ່ນອນ”

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्यम्: Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्यम्: Apādāna (Ablative sense with vinā/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna-marker (without)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात; वियोगार्थक (without)

• वाद्य: O vādya (O player/musician)
• वाद्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन-एकवचन (Vocative); (address: ‘O musician/one who plays’)

• क्षुधा: hunger
• क्षुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वः: your/of you
• वः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (here: genitive ‘of you/your’)

• शाम्यति: subsides/is pacified
• शाम्यति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषण (adverbial accusative); निश्चयार्थे (certainly)

Speaker

Unspecified ‘he’ addressing the sages (continuation of the instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guiding figure gestures to the surrounding forest as if declaring its protective power; sages pause, reassured, within an implied sacred boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha sustains seekers; steadfastness in a holy place is itself a channel of divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is directly praised as the locus of relief and spiritual assurance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The guidance is to remain within Dharmāraṇya (not to depart), implying faithfulness to the sacred site.