Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । यदि तुष्टोऽसि देवेश वांछितं कुरुषे यदि । धर्मारण्ये महापुण्ये ऋषीणामाश्रमान्कुरु

Transliteration

yama uvāca | yadi tuṣṭo'si deveśa vāṃchitaṃ kuruṣe yadi | dharmāraṇye mahāpuṇye ṛṣīṇāmāśramānkuru

Translation

യമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—നീ പ്രസന്നനാണെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ ദേവേശാ, എന്റെ വാഞ്ഛ നിറവേറ്റുമെങ്കിൽ, ഈ മഹാപുണ്യ ധർമ്മാരണ്യത്തിൽ ഋഷിമാരുടെ ആശ്രമങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിക്കണമേ.

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon/thing)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुषे: you do/you grant
• कुरुषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• धर्मारण्ये: in Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महापुण्ये: in the greatly meritorious (place)
• महापुण्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मारण्ये)

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• आश्रमान्: hermitages
• आश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• कुरु: make/create
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama requests Viṣṇu: if pleased, establish hermitages for sages in the supremely meritorious Dharmāraṇya—an appeal for dharmic infrastructure.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Viṣṇu (Deveśa)
• Dharmāraṇya
• Ṛṣis
• Āśramas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s glory is sustained by the presence of sages, whose āśramas preserve dharma and sanctify the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, described as “mahāpuṇya” and worthy of being adorned with ṛṣi-āśramas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is institutional: establish sages’ hermitages (āśramas), enabling Vedic life, yajña, and dharma-practice.