Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा मां द्वारकां गत्वा कर्त्तव्यं कृष्णदर्शनम् । दृष्ट्वा कृष्णं तु मां पश्येद्यास्यत्येव महाफलम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā māṃ dvārakāṃ gatvā karttavyaṃ kṛṣṇadarśanam | dṛṣṭvā kṛṣṇaṃ tu māṃ paśyedyāsyatyeva mahāphalam

Translation

إذا رأيتني ثم مضيتَ إلى دواركا، فواجبٌ أن تنال دارشن كريشنا. وإذا رأيتَ كريشنا فلتنظر إليّ أيضًا—فبهذا تنال ثمرةً عظيمةً يقينًا.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• द्वारकाम्: Dvaraka
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-देशः

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कर्त्तव्यम्: to be done; obligatory
• कर्त्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (ought to be done)

• कृष्णदर्शनम्: seeing Krishna
• कृष्णदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य दर्शनम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधसूचक-अव्यय (particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यास्यति: will attain/go to
• यास्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• एव: certainly
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महाफलम्: great fruit (great reward)
• महाफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् फलम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Someśvara/Somapati) speaking on proper pilgrimage sequence

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (with completion at the speaker’s kṣetra in Prabhāsa context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/recipient of instruction (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, after honoring the presiding sacred presence at Prabhāsa, sets out along the western coast to Dvārakā; upon reaching the sea-girt city, he beholds Kṛṣṇa, then returns to complete the vow with a final darśana at the first shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-yātrā integrates devotion: Kṛṣṇa-darśana is central, and Śiva affirms mutual completion through both darśanas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, with an implied connection to Someśvara (Śiva) and Kṛṣṇa’s shrine/presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā-vidhi is implied: go to Dvārakā and 반드시 perform Kṛṣṇa-darśana; also see Śiva for “mahāphala.”