Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

देवानामालयं यस्मात्तदेव भुवि दुर्लभम् । कुरुक्षेत्रे नरो राम ग्रहणे चन्द्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

devānāmālayaṃ yasmāttadeva bhuvi durlabham | kurukṣetre naro rāma grahaṇe candrasūryayoḥ

Translation

Wahai Rāma, kerana wilayah ini ialah kediaman para dewa, maka tempat suci seumpamanya amat jarang di bumi. Di Kurukṣetra, khususnya pada waktu gerhana bulan atau gerhana matahari, manusia memperoleh pahala yang agung.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• आलयम्: abode, dwelling
• आलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यस्मात्: from which, because of which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री. ‘भू’=पृथ्वी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तत्’)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राम: O Rāma
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ग्रहणे: at the eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च)

Speaker

Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa narrative voice; speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred plain of Kurukṣetra with a tīrtha-tank/riverbank; pilgrims gathered at eclipse-time, priests chanting, offerings and dāna being given as the sun/moon is partially obscured.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kurukṣetra
• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truly divine places are rare; visiting a famed tīrtha with sacred timing (like an eclipse) intensifies merit and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is praised, framed as a rare ‘abode of the gods’ on earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance/participation at Kurukṣetra during lunar or solar eclipses (grahaṇa-kāla) is highlighted as especially meritorious.