Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्ये वरे पुण्ये यत्र संज्ञास्थिता तपः । आगतं तं रविं दृष्ट्वा वडवा समजायत

Transliteration

dharmāraṇye vare puṇye yatra saṃjñāsthitā tapaḥ | āgataṃ taṃ raviṃ dṛṣṭvā vaḍavā samajāyata

Translation

श्रेष्ठ पुण्य धर्मारण्यात, जिथे संज्ञा तपश्चर्येत प्रतिष्ठित होती, तेथे आलेल्या रविला पाहून ती वडवा (घोडी) झाली।

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्ये: in the Dharmāraṇya (forest of Dharma)
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + अरण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• वरे: excellent
• वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying धर्मारण्ये)

• पुण्ये: holy, meritorious
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying धर्मारण्ये)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Sambandha/Avyaya (Linking)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative adverb of place)

• संज्ञा: Saṃjñā (proper name)
• संज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ (subject)

• अस्थिता: having stayed, stationed
• अस्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संज्ञा-विशेषण; अर्थः ‘स्थितवती/स्थित’

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• आगतं: arrived
• आगतं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रविं-विशेषण

• तं: that (him)
• तं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रविं प्रति निर्देश (pronoun)

• रविं: the Sun
• रविं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Hetu/Avyaya (Cause/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वडवा: the mare (Vaḍavā)
• वडवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वडवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ

• समजायत: was born, came into being
• समजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोग

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (site of Saṃjñā-tapas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a luminous forest-kshetra, Saṃjñā stands in austerity; as the Sun approaches in blazing radiance, she transforms into a mare—half-shadow, half-light—signaling a cosmic event about to unfold.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Saṃjñā
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Vaḍavā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places support profound inner change; transformation is depicted as a dharmic means to meet overwhelming power with appropriate form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is explicitly praised as ‘excellent and holy’ (vare puṇye).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is referenced as Saṃjñā’s practice in Dharmāraṇya; no specific rite is enumerated.