Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कलौ द्वारवती सेव्या ज्ञात्वा पुण्यं विशेषतः । षटपुर्यश्चैव सुलभा दुर्ल्लभा द्वारका कलौ

Transliteration

kalau dvāravatī sevyā jñātvā puṇyaṃ viśeṣataḥ | ṣaṭapuryaścaiva sulabhā durllabhā dvārakā kalau

Translation

في عصر كالي، لمّا يُعرَف فضلُ دْوَارَفَتِي (دْوَارَكَا) الخاص، ينبغي للمرء أن يتعبّد لها ويخدمها. فمع أنّ المدنَ المقدّسة الستّ ميسورة، فإنّ دْوَارَكَا في كالي عسيرةُ المنال.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• द्वारवती: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सेव्या: should be visited/served
• सेव्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सेव् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive: 'to be served/visited')

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

• षट्पुर्यः: the six sacred cities
• षट्पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्+पुरी (प्रातिपदिक; षट्पुरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (six cities)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• सुलभाः: easy to obtain/accessible
• सुलभाः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• दुर्लभा: hard to obtain/rare
• दुर्लभा: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्+लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: the speaker urges the king to serve Dvārakā in Kali, emphasizing its special merit and rarity; a map-like vision of the six sacred cities appears, with Dvārakā highlighted yet distant across the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Ṣaṭpurī (six sacred cities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, consciously choosing the harder, higher pilgrimage—Dvārakā—brings special merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā (Dvāravatī), presented as uniquely meritorious yet difficult to reach in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/resorting to Dvārakā—undertaking pilgrimage and devotional engagement there.