Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ते वाडवा गृहीत्वा तं पट्टं रामाज्ञया शुभम् । ताम्रं हैमाक्षरयुतं धर्म्यं धर्मविभूषणम्

Transliteration

te vāḍavā gṛhītvā taṃ paṭṭaṃ rāmājñayā śubham | tāmraṃ haimākṣarayutaṃ dharmyaṃ dharmavibhūṣaṇam

Translation

रामाच्या शुभ आज्ञेप्रमाणे त्या वाडवांनी तो पवित्र पट्ट स्वीकारला—तांब्याचा, सुवर्णाक्षरांनी अंकित—जो धर्ममय असून धर्माचे भूषण होता।

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• वाडवाः: the Vāḍavas (a group/people)
• वाडवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāḍava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having taken’

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• पट्टम्: cloth/strip (paṭṭa)
• पट्टम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• रामाज्ञया: by Rama's command
• रामाज्ञया: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma-ājñā (प्रातिपदिक; राम + आज्ञा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘रामस्य आज्ञा’

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘paṭṭam’)

• ताम्रम्: copper (made of copper)
• ताम्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘paṭṭam’)

• हैमाक्षरयुतम्: bearing golden letters
• हैमाक्षरयुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: haima-akṣara-yuta (प्रातिपदिक; हैम + अक्षर + युत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘हैमाक्षरैः युतम्’ = ‘joined with golden letters’

• धर्म्यम्: righteous/according to dharma
• धर्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धर्मविभूषणम्: an ornament of dharma
• धर्मविभूषणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-vibhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + विभूषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘धर्मस्य विभूषणम्’

Speaker

Vyāsa (contextual narration; explicit speaker appears at Śloka 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (addressed as ‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of Vāḍavas reverently lift a copper plaque inscribed with golden letters, receiving it as Rāma’s command; the plaque gleams like a dharma-emblem in a forest-kshetra.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vāḍavāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened when sacred instructions are preserved and honored with reverence and obedience to righteous authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits in the Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa context, emphasizing the sanctity of Dharmāraṇya (a holy forest-region) through ritual preservation and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving and safeguarding a sacred inscribed plaque (paṭṭa), described as copper with golden letters, as part of a dharmic observance.