Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 300

Devanagari script

स्वकर्मनिरताः शांताः कृषिकर्मपरायणाः । धर्मारण्यान्नातिदूरे धेनूः संचारयंति ते

Transliteration

svakarmaniratāḥ śāṃtāḥ kṛṣikarmaparāyaṇāḥ | dharmāraṇyānnātidūre dhenūḥ saṃcārayaṃti te

Translation

അവർ തങ്ങളുടെ കര്‍മ്മത്തിൽ നിരതരായി, ശാന്തരായി, കൃഷികര്‍മ്മത്തിൽ പരായണരായി ഇരിക്കുന്നു. ധര്‍മാരണ്യത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അതിദൂരമല്ലാതെ അവർ തങ്ങളുടെ ധേനുക്കളെ മേയിച്ചും നടത്തിച്ചും പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्वकर्म: in one’s own duty/work
• स्वकर्म: Adhikarana (Object of attachment/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (स्वस्य कर्म)

• निरताः: engaged/intent
• निरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कृषि: of agriculture
• कृषि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• कर्म: work/occupation
• कर्म: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc) एकवचन; समासमध्यपद

• परायणाः: devoted/wholly given
• परायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• धर्म: of Dharma
• धर्म: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अरण्यात्: from the forest
• अरण्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

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

• अति: too/excessively
• अति: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb: 'too/excessively')

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial locative: 'far away')

• धेनूः: cows
• धेनूः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (वैदिक/प्रयोगभेदेन रूपम्); कर्मपद

• संचारयन्ति: they cause to graze/they drive about
• संचारयन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चर् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Peaceful agrarian community near the Dharmāraṇya forest: farmers with ploughs, cows grazing, a distant āśrama and small shrine; the mood is quiet, dutiful, and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Dhenū (cows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived through steady duty, peace, and responsible livelihood—simple rural conduct near a sacred forest is praised as dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is referenced as the sacred center near which these communities live and graze cattle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is specified; implied dharma includes honest work (svakarma) and care of cattle (go-sevā).