Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा सकलं पुण्यं रम्यं द्विजनिषे वितम् । ब्रह्मद्वेषाच्च तेनैव दाहितं च पुरं शुभम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā sakalaṃ puṇyaṃ ramyaṃ dvijaniṣe vitam | brahmadveṣācca tenaiva dāhitaṃ ca puraṃ śubham

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം പൂർണ്ണമായും പുണ്യമയവും മനോഹരവും ദ്വിജന്മാർ സേവിക്കുന്നതുമെന്നു കണ്ടിട്ട്, ബ്രഹ്മദ്വേഷം മൂലം അവൻ തന്നെ ആ ശുഭനഗരം ദഹിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (place)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy; meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful; delightful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजनिषेवितम्: frequented by the twice-born
• द्विजनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज + निषेवित (नि + सेव् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजैः निषेवितम् = frequented by brahmins)

• ब्रह्मद्वेषात्: from hatred of Brahmins/Brahman
• ब्रह्मद्वेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः/ब्राह्मणस्य द्वेषः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• दाहितम्: was burnt
• दाहितम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used predicatively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'burnt'

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious; splendid
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुरम् विशेषण)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon beholds a radiant, brāhmaṇa-filled sacred city in Dharmāraṇya and, driven by brahma-dveṣa, sets it ablaze; flames rise around huts, yajña-vedīs, and groves as sages scatter.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hatred toward the sacred (brahman, brāhmaṇas, dharma) leads to destructive acts; violating holy communities is portrayed as grave adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sanctity is emphasized as a brāhmaṇa-frequented, meritorious place—even its violation underscores its holiness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on the offense against a sacred settlement.