Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

धर्मात्मजस्तदा तात धर्मारण्यं समाविशत् । महापातकनाशाय साधुपालनत त्परः

Transliteration

dharmātmajastadā tāta dharmāraṇyaṃ samāviśat | mahāpātakanāśāya sādhupālanata tparaḥ

Translation

Bấy giờ, hỡi người thân yêu, con trai của Dharma bước vào thánh lâm Dharmāraṇya—chí nguyện diệt trừ đại tội và tận tâm hộ trì các bậc hiền thiện.

Word by Word

• धर्मात्मजः: the son of Dharma
• धर्मात्मजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + आत्मज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य आत्मजः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तात: O dear (father/son), O sir
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• धर्मारण्यं: the Dharma-forest (Dharmāraṇya)
• धर्मारण्यं: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + अरण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• समाविशत्: entered
• समाविशत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• महापातकनाशाय: for the destruction of great sins
• महापातकनाशाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Purpose-Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक-नाश (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य नाशः)

• साधुपालनतत्परः: intent on protecting the virtuous
• साधुपालनतत्परः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु-पालन-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; साधु + पालन + तत्पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (साधूनां पालनं तस्मिन् तत्परः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Purāṇic narration style within Brāhma-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-born royal figure enters a sacred forest (Dharmāraṇya), accompanied by attendants and ascetics; the atmosphere is charged with vows, protection of sages, and the intent to burn away great sins.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a sacred place with dharmic intent—protecting the good and seeking purification—destroys even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, praised as a sanctifying sacred forest-region within this section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on entering the holy place with the purpose of sin-destruction and dharmic protection.