Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अष्टादशसहस्राणि पुण्यकार्येषु निर्मिताः । षट्त्रिंशत्तु सहस्राणि भृत्यास्ते वणिजो भुवि

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśasahasrāṇi puṇyakāryeṣu nirmitāḥ | ṣaṭtriṃśattu sahasrāṇi bhṛtyāste vaṇijo bhuvi

Translation

اَٹھارہ ہزار لوگ پُنّیہ کے کاموں میں مقرر ہیں۔ اور زمین پر چھتیس ہزار خادم ہیں—وہی ونجارے/تاجر جو اس مقدس نظامِ خدمت کو سنبھالتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अष्टादशसहस्राणि: eighteen thousand
• अष्टादशसहस्राणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टादश सहस्राणि = eighteen thousands)

• पुण्यकार्येषु: in meritorious acts/works
• पुण्यकार्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (पुण्यं कार्यम्)

• निर्मिताः: were made/appointed
• निर्मिताः: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• षट्त्रिंशत्: thirty-six
• षट्त्रिंशत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट्त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; (here used attributively with सहस्राणि)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• भृत्याः: servants
• भृत्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वणिजः: merchants/traders
• वणिजः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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 bustling yet serene sacred forest-settlement: groups performing charity kitchens, maintaining paths, tending lamps; merchants respectfully supplying pilgrims; attendants guiding visitors—everything orderly and dhārmic.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A great tīrtha sustains organized, large-scale meritorious activity and a supporting social order that enables dharma to flourish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, depicted as hosting extensive puṇya-works and a large resident/supporting population.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual; the verse indicates institutionalized ‘puṇyakārya’ (meritorious works), implying charity and service.