Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । त्वमत्रस्थो महाभाग कुरु कार्यं च नः प्रभो । धर्मारण्ये च विप्राणां वणिग्जननिवासिनाम्

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | tvamatrastho mahābhāga kuru kāryaṃ ca naḥ prabho | dharmāraṇye ca viprāṇāṃ vaṇigjananivāsinām

Translation

தேவர்கள் கூறினர்—ஹே மகாபாக்யவானான பிரபுவே! நீர் இங்கே தங்கி எங்கள் காரியத்தை நிறைவேற்றுவீராக. தர்மாரண்யத்தில் வாழும் பிராமணர்களுக்கும் வணிகர்களுக்கும் அருளுடன் காவலனாக இருப்பீராக.

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• atra-sthaḥ: present here
• atra-sthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atra (अव्यय) + stha (स्थ धातु) → stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (अत्र स्थितः)

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्य/महाभागः)

• kuru: do
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kāryam: the task
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• prabho: O lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• dharmāraṇye: in Dharmāraṇya
• dharmāraṇye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• ca: and
• ca: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• viprāṇām: of the brāhmaṇas
• viprāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• vaṇik-jana-nivāsinām: of the merchant-folk residents
• vaṇik-jana-nivāsinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṇik (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (वणिजां जनाः ये निवासिनः)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas petition Gaṇādhyakṣa to remain present in Dharmāraṇya as guardian of brāhmaṇas and merchants; the forest-kshetra is shown with hermitages and a small market settlement at its edge.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Gaṇeśa (addressed as Prabhu/Mahābhāga)
• Dharmāraṇya
• Vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• Vaṇij (merchants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place thrives when dharmic communities are protected; divine guardianship supports social and spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is explicitly named as the sacred region whose residents seek protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the verse is a petition for ongoing divine oversight of the tīrtha-community.