Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । धर्मारण्येति त्रिदशैः कदा नाम प्रतिष्ठितम् । पावनं भूतले जातं कस्मात्तेन विनिर्मितम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dharmāraṇyeti tridaśaiḥ kadā nāma pratiṣṭhitam | pāvanaṃ bhūtale jātaṃ kasmāttena vinirmitam

Translation

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—देवांनी ‘धर्म्मारण्य’ या नावाने याची स्थापना कधी केली? हे पावन स्थान भूतलावर कोणत्या कारणाने उत्पन्न झाले आणि कोणत्या हेतुने निर्माण झाले?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• धर्मारण्य: Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्य: Karman (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• इति: thus/“as”
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक कालवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• नाम: indeed/ever (emphatic)
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/विस्मयार्थक निपात (particle, often emphatic in questions)

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जातम्: arisen/born
• जातम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/ablative of cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/by that (one)
• तेन: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विनिर्मितम्: constructed/created
• विनिर्मितम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निर् + मि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Court/āśrama dialogue: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully, hands in añjali, asking a sage/narrator about Dharmāraṇya’s founding; behind them, a symbolic vision of devas establishing a forest-kshetra on earth.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Devas
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is rooted in divine establishment and purpose; understanding a tīrtha’s origin deepens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya—specifically its divine naming, establishment, and origin on earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces an inquiry that typically precedes the tīrtha’s origin narrative and associated rites.