शिव उवाच । शृणुष्वैकाग्रमनसा येनाहं व्यग्रचेतसः । अस्ति स्थानं महापुण्यं धर्म्मारण्यं च भूतले
śiva uvāca | śṛṇuṣvaikāgramanasā yenāhaṃ vyagracetasaḥ | asti sthānaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ dharmmāraṇyaṃ ca bhūtale
Śiva bersabda: “Dengarlah dengan minda yang satu-tumpu, kerana hatiku sedang berdebar. Di bumi ada suatu tempat suci yang amat besar pahalanya, bernama Dharmāraṇya, Hutan Dharma.”
Śiva
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)
Scene: Śiva, serene yet eager, addresses Skanda in a sacred grove; the ‘Dharmāraṇya’ is suggested by ancient trees, tīrtha markers, and a luminous atmosphere indicating hidden merit.
Single-pointed listening and reverence toward sacred geography lead the seeker toward dharma and merit (puṇya).
Dharmāraṇya, introduced as a supremely meritorious sacred place on earth.
No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction is to listen attentively as the māhātmya begins.