Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विवाहोत्सवयज्ञेषु पूर्वमाराधितो भवेत् । धर्मारण्योद्भवानां च प्रसन्नो भव सर्वदा

Transliteration

vivāhotsavayajñeṣu pūrvamārādhito bhavet | dharmāraṇyodbhavānāṃ ca prasanno bhava sarvadā

Translation

വിവാഹം, ഉത്സവം, യജ്ഞം എന്നിവയിൽ ആദ്യം അവനെ തന്നേ ആരാധിക്കണം. ധർമാരണ്യത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച (അഥവാ അതുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട) ജനങ്ങളോടു നീ എപ്പോഴും പ്രസന്നനായിരിക്കണമേ.

Word by Word

• विवाहोत्सवयज्ञेषु: in weddings, festivals, and sacrifices
• विवाहोत्सवयज्ञेषु: Adhikarana (Location/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (विवाह) + utsava (उत्सव) + yajña (यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समुच्चय-द्वन्द्व (विवाहाः च उत्सवाः च यज्ञाः च), अधिकरणे

• पूर्वम्: first / beforehand
• पूर्वम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrvam (पूर्वम् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (before/first)

• आराधितः: worshipped / propitiated
• आराधितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + rādh (राध् धातु) → ārādhita (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्तरि/कर्मणि भावे—‘(त्वं) आराधितः’ = having been worshipped

• भवेत्: should be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मारण्योद्भवानाम्: of those originating in Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्योद्भवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmāraṇya (धर्मारण्य) + ud-bhava (उद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मारण्यात् उद्भवाः = those born/originating from Dharmāraṇya)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• प्रसन्नः: gracious / pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasanna (प्रसन्न प्रातिपदिक/क्त-निष्पन्न विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बोधित देवता/गणाधिपस्य विशेषणम्

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (सर्वदा अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यकालवाचक (always)

Speaker

Narrator (normative instruction about priority worship; addressed to Gaṇeśa in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wedding pavilion, festival stage, and yajña-vedi are shown in a triptych; in each, Gaṇeśa is worshipped first; Dharmāraṇya community receives his ever-gracious gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa (implied)
• Dharmāraṇya
• Vivāha (marriage)
• Utsava (festival)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious undertakings succeed when begun with proper priority worship—placing the remover of obstacles first.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is singled out, with a special request for constant grace upon its people.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṇeśa (implied) should be worshipped first (pūrvam ārādhitaḥ) in vivāha, utsava, and yajña.