Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । यथा स्नानं ब्रह्मज्ञानं देहत्यागो गयातले । धर्मारण्ये तथा दैत्य धर्म्मेश्वरपुरः स्थिते

Transliteration

brahmovāca | yathā snānaṃ brahmajñānaṃ dehatyāgo gayātale | dharmāraṇye tathā daitya dharmmeśvarapuraḥ sthite

Translation

พระพรหมตรัสว่า: ดังที่การอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ การรู้แจ้งพรหมัน และแม้การสละกาย ณ คยา มีอานุภาพยิ่ง ฉันใด; โอ้ไทตยะ พิธีกรรมในธรรมารัณยะ ณ เบื้องหน้าธรรมเมศวรปุระ ก็มีผลยิ่งฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (सम्बोधन-प्रायः वक्तृनिर्देश)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta/Topic (Subject/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मज्ञानम्: knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानम्: Karta/Topic (Subject/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः ज्ञानम्)

• देहत्यागः: abandoning the body
• देहत्यागः: Karta/Topic (Subject/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देहस्य त्यागः)

• गयातले: in the region of Gayā
• गयातले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः तलम्)

• धर्मारण्ये: in Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (so/likewise)

• दैत्य: O demon
• दैत्य: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• धर्मेश्वरपुरः: Dharmmeśvara city
• धर्मेश्वरपुरः: Adhikarana/Topic (Place-name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मेश्वरस्य पुरम्)

• स्थिते: situated (there)
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; स्था धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषणम् (धर्मेश्वरपुरे)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (near Dharmmeśvara-pura)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lohāsura (Daitya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks authoritatively, gesturing toward a forest-kṣetra with a Śiva shrine (Dharmmeśvara-pura). In the background, pilgrims bathe; a subtle vision of Gayā appears as a comparative sacred silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gayā
• Dharmāraṇya
• Dharmmeśvara-pura
• Daitya (Lohāsura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is measured by transformative outcomes—purification, higher knowledge, and final merit—comparable to famed places like Gayā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, specifically the sacred precinct “in front of/at” Dharmmeśvara-pura, is exalted; Gayā is used as the benchmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-bathing (snāna) is implied; the verse also frames the site as potent for brahmajñāna and for attaining merit at the time of death.