Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैर्यदादौ संस्थापितं पुरा । अरण्यानां च सर्वेषां तीर्थानां च विशेषतः

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇuśivādyairyadādau saṃsthāpitaṃ purā | araṇyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ธรรมาอรัณยะนี้ ซึ่งพรหมา วิษณุ ศิวะ และเทพทั้งหลายได้สถาปนาไว้แต่ปฐมกาล เป็นยอดแห่งป่าทั้งปวง และยิ่งกว่านั้น เป็นยอดแห่งทีรถะ (ทิรฺถะ) ทั้งหลายโดยเฉพาะ

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैः: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and others
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करणकारक-योग्य (instrumental plural)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time/order)

• संस्थापितम्: established
• संस्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (set/established)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• अरण्यानाम्: of forests
• अरण्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अरण्यानाम्)

• तीर्थानाम्: of sacred places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (contextual; praising Dharmāraṇya to Rāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred forest-kṣetra at the dawn of time, with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and other devas performing consecration rites—installing the sanctity of Dharmāraṇya; luminous tīrtha waters and ancient trees radiate holiness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in divine consecration; Dharmāraṇya is celebrated as preeminent due to its primordial स्थापना (establishment) by the highest deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya—praised as a supreme sacred forest and tīrtha within the Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa of the Brahmakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes the site’s authority and superiority as a tīrtha.