Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

विप्रा ऊचुः । काजेशैः स्थापिताः पूर्वं धर्मराजेन धीमता । कृता चात्र शुभे स्थाने रामेण च ततः पुरी

Transliteration

viprā ūcuḥ | kājeśaiḥ sthāpitāḥ pūrvaṃ dharmarājena dhīmatā | kṛtā cātra śubhe sthāne rāmeṇa ca tataḥ purī

Translation

విప్రులు పలికిరి—పూర్వం ధీమంతుడైన ధర్మరాజ కాజేశ మమ్మల్ని స్థాపించెను. తరువాత ఈ శుభస్థలమున రాముడు ఇక్కడ నగరాన్ని నిర్మించెను.

Word by Word

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• काजेशैः: by the Kājeśas (a group/people)
• काजेशैः: Karana (Agent/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काजेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्थापिताः: were established
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: time)

• धर्मराजेन: by Dharmarāja
• धर्मराजेन: Karana (Agent/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: धर्म + राज (तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धीमता: wise
• धीमता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् धर्मराजेन

• कृता: was made
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘was made’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: place)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् स्थाने

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Karana (Agent/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: sequence ‘then/from there’)

• पुरी: the city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (Viprāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Moheraka (śubha-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmins narrate: they were once settled by Kājeśa, the wise Dharmarāja; later Rāma founded the city in this auspicious place—evoking a layered founding legend.

Characters & Entities

• Kājeśa
• Dharmarāja
• Rāma
• Moheraka (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places and communities are sustained by dharmic founders; remembering origins strengthens collective dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse implies the auspiciousness of the locale (Moheraka region) by linking it to Dharmarāja and Rāma’s founding activity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides sacred-historical grounding (sthala-itihāsa).