Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एकं तु पुष्करारण्यं नैमिषारण्यमेव च । धर्मारण्यं तृतीयं तु तेषां संकीर्त्यते द्विजाः

Transliteration

ekaṃ tu puṣkarāraṇyaṃ naimiṣāraṇyameva ca | dharmāraṇyaṃ tṛtīyaṃ tu teṣāṃ saṃkīrtyate dvijāḥ

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ! ଗୋଟିଏ ପୁଷ୍କରାରଣ୍ୟ, ଆଉ ଗୋଟିଏ ନୈମିଷାରଣ୍ୟ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ। ତୃତୀୟ ଧର୍ମାରଣ୍ୟ—ଏହିପରି ତାଙ୍କର ସଂକୀର୍ତ୍ତନ କରାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• एकम्: one/first (one of them)
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of āraṇyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• पुष्करारण्यम्: Puṣkara forest
• पुष्करारण्यम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Item named)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर-आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुष्करस्य आरण्यम्)

• नैमिषारण्यम्: Naimiṣa forest
• नैमिषारण्यम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Item named)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष-आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नैमिषस्य आरण्यम्)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• धर्मारण्यम्: Dharma forest
• धर्मारण्यम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Item named)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य आरण्यम्)

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of dharmāraṇyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Of them)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• संकीर्त्यते: is proclaimed/recited
• संकीर्त्यते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born ones
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense though nominative form used)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (address)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara-āraṇya; Naimiṣa-āraṇya; Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta lists three sacred forests: Puṣkara, Naimiṣa, and Dharmāraṇya—shown as tranquil groves with hermitages, sacrificial fires, and rishis in study.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Puṣkara
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forest holy-tracts (āraṇyas) are central to Purāṇic dharma—spaces of tapas, purity, and pilgrimage remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-āraṇya, Naimiṣāraṇya, and Dharmāraṇya are identified as the three principal āraṇyas in this enumeration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse itself lists the āraṇyas; the implied practice in such contexts is pilgrimage with snāna/darśana and reverential recitation of their names.