Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधाधिको धर्मस्तस्य स्याच्च पदेपदे । शापानुग्रहसंयुक्ता ब्राह्मणास्तत्र संति वै

Transliteration

aśvamedhādhiko dharmastasya syācca padepade | śāpānugrahasaṃyuktā brāhmaṇāstatra saṃti vai

Translation

అక్కడ ప్రతి అడుగులో అశ్వమేధ యాగఫలానికన్నా అధికమైన ధర్మఫలం కలుగుతుంది. అలాగే శాపం మరియు అనుగ్రహశక్తితో యుక్తులైన బ్రాహ్మణులు అక్కడ నిజంగా నివసిస్తారు।

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधाधिकः: greater than the Aśvamedha-sacrifice
• अश्वमेधाधिकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वमेध + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधात् अधिकः = superior to the Aśvamedha)

• धर्मः: dharma/merit
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it/of that (place)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/is to be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (पदे-पदे इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (iteration)

• शापानुग्रहसंयुक्ताः: endowed with curse and blessing
• शापानुग्रहसंयुक्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप + अनुग्रह + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समाहार-तत्पुरुषभावः (शापश्च अनुग्रहश्च ताभ्यां संयुक्ताः)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सन्ति: are/exist
• सन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narrator/teacher voice (contextual speaker not explicit in this verse; within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim path through Dharmāraṇya where each footprint glows; venerable brāhmaṇas seated with japa-mālā and kamaṇḍalu, their presence radiating both protective severity and compassionate blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Brāhmaṇas
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places can confer extraordinary merit effortlessly, and saintly brāhmaṇas safeguard dharma through spiritual authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where merit accrues ‘at every step’ beyond great sacrifices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded; the verse compares the kṣetra’s merit to the Aśvamedha and notes the presence of potent brāhmaṇas.