Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

हर उवाच । धर्मारण्ये सुरपते ब्रह्महत्या न पीडयेत् । हत्या गवां द्विजातीनां बालस्य योषितामपि

Transliteration

hara uvāca | dharmāraṇye surapate brahmahatyā na pīḍayet | hatyā gavāṃ dvijātīnāṃ bālasya yoṣitāmapi

Translation

ഹരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ സുരപതേ! ധർമാരണ്യത്തിൽ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യയുടെ പീഡ ഉണ്ടാകില്ല; പശു, ദ്വിജൻ, ബാലൻ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സ്ത്രീയെ വധിച്ചതിൽ നിന്നുള്ള പാപവും അവിടെ നിലനിൽക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धर्मारण्ये: in Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सुरपते: O lord of gods
• सुरपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmahatyā (sin of Brahmin-slaying)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पीडयेत्: would/should afflict
• पीडयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• हत्या: killing; the sin of killing
• हत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• द्विजातीनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• बालस्य: of a child
• बालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• योषिताम्: of women
• योषिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (additive particle)

Speaker

Śiva (Hara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Surapति/Devendra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares the extraordinary power of Dharmāraṇya; the forest seems luminous—trees, waters, and air subtly radiate sanctity; Indra’s face shifts from fear to relief.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Indra (Surapati)
• Dharmāraṇya
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sanctified place (kṣetra) empowered by divine will can neutralize even grave karmic burdens when approached with reverence and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is explicitly glorified as a kṣetra where severe sins do not afflict the devotee.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, seeking refuge in the kṣetra; the explicit instruction to enter and bathe is given in the next verse.