Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नानादेशात्समानीय स्थापितास्तत्र तैः सुरैः । आश्रमांश्च बहूंस्तत्र काजेशैरपि निर्मितान्

Transliteration

nānādeśātsamānīya sthāpitāstatra taiḥ suraiḥ | āśramāṃśca bahūṃstatra kājeśairapi nirmitān

Translation

പല ദേശങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു സമാഹരിച്ച് ആ ദേവന്മാർ അവരെ അവിടെ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. അവിടെ കാജേശന്മാരാൽ കൂടി അനേകം ആശ്രമങ്ങൾ നിർമ്മിക്കപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• नानादेशात्: from various regions
• नानादेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); 'नानादेश' = विविधदेश (various countries)

• समानीय: having brought together
• समानीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having brought/assembled'

• स्थापिताः: were established
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थापित (कृदन्त; णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक (locative adverb)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक (locative adverb)

• काजेशैः: by the Kājeśas (name/agents)
• काजेशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काजेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); पाठानुसार-नाम (proper/unclear lexeme)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: 'also/even')

• निर्मितान्: built/constructed
• निर्मितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) + निर्मित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेष्य (qualifying आश्रमान्)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand migration of sages from diverse directions arriving with disciples; devas overseeing settlement; construction of multiple āśramas—kutīras, yajña-śālās, study pavilions—rising within the forest under divine supervision; ‘Kājeśas’ as builder-beings at work.

Characters & Entities

• Gods (Suras)
• Ṛṣis (implied from prior verse)
• Āśramas
• Kājeśāḥ
• Dharmāraṇya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine support works through creating dharmic institutions—settling sages and building āśramas—to sustain a tīrtha’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, depicted as a planned sacred landscape with established sages and numerous hermitages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is named; the verse stresses infrastructure for Vedic living—bringing sages and constructing āśramas.