Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

न धर्मो विद्यते वात्र उक्तो रामः स मानुषः । क्व वापि लंबपुछोऽसौ यो मुक्तो रक्षणाय वः

Transliteration

na dharmo vidyate vātra ukto rāmaḥ sa mānuṣaḥ | kva vāpi laṃbapucho'sau yo mukto rakṣaṇāya vaḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ ധർമ്മം ഇല്ല; പറയപ്പെടുന്ന ‘രാമൻ’ വെറും മനുഷ്യൻ മാത്രം. പിന്നെ നിങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കാൻ വിട്ടയച്ച ആ ദീർഘവാലൻ എവിടെയാണ്?

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; ‘to be found’ अर्थे)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वा: or/indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or/indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• उक्तः: is said/called
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (rāmaḥ)

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मानुषः: a human
• मानुषः: Kriya (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate noun)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Adhikarana (Interrogative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• लम्बपुच्छः: the long-tailed one
• लम्बपुच्छः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लम्ब-पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक; लम्ब + पुच्छ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (लम्बं पुच्छं यस्य)

• असौ: that one (yonder)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• मुक्तः: released/sent
• मुक्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘sent/released’ अर्थे

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/प्रयोजन-चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √रक्ष् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of)

• वः: of you (all)
• वः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of you’

Speaker

King (Rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king (or disputant) speaks harshly in the forest assembly, dismissing Rāma as merely human and questioning Hanumān’s protective presence; brāhmaṇas react with visible shock and rising indignation.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Long-tailed one (likely Hanumān)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can be challenged by skepticism; the narrative sets up a rebuttal defending divine purpose and righteous protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the locale; this verse questions, rather than praises, its dharmic order as part of the story’s tension.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.