Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । श्रुता व्यासमुखाद्धर्म्म धर्मारण्यकथा शुभा । तत्सर्वं हि कथय मे विस्तीर्णं च यथातथम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | śrutā vyāsamukhāddharmma dharmāraṇyakathā śubhā | tatsarvaṃ hi kathaya me vistīrṇaṃ ca yathātatham

Translation

นารทกล่าวว่า: “ข้าพเจ้าได้สดับกถาอันเป็นมงคลแห่งธรรมารัณยะจากโอษฐ์ของฤๅษีวยาสะแล้ว ขอท่านจงเล่าให้ข้าพเจ้าฟังทั้งหมดโดยพิสดาร ตามที่เกิดขึ้นจริงทุกประการ”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रुता: heard
• श्रुता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त (क्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• व्यासमुखात्: from Vyasa's mouth
• व्यासमुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: व्यासस्य मुखम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• धर्म: O Dharma (address)
• धर्म: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• धर्मारण्यकथा: the story of Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्यकथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मारण्यस्य कथा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कथायाः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विस्तीर्णम्: in detail, expanded
• विस्तीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + स्तॄ (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्सर्वम्)

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

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थ (as/according to)

• तथम्: so, in that manner
• तथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थ (thus/so)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, respectfully addresses the narrator, recalling that he heard the Dharmāraṇya account from Vyāsa and requesting a complete retelling.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vyāsa
• Dharma
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry and faithful transmission of sacred history (kathā) are themselves dharmic acts that preserve and spread merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya (the “Forest of Dharma”), introduced as an auspicious sacred landscape whose greatness will be narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse frames the request for a complete, accurate recounting of the māhātmya.