Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पापं जन्मसहस्रोत्थं पदमात्रेण गच्छताम् । द्वारका हरते नूनं मुक्तिः कृष्णस्य दर्शनात्

Transliteration

pāpaṃ janmasahasrotthaṃ padamātreṇa gacchatām | dvārakā harate nūnaṃ muktiḥ kṛṣṇasya darśanāt

Translation

لِمَن يخطو نحوها خطوةً واحدةً فحسب، فإن دْوَارَكَا تَمحُو يقيناً خطايا ناشئةً عن ألفِ ولادة؛ وتأتي الموكشا برؤية كريشنا (دارشَن).

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• जन्मसहस्रोत्थम्: arisen from a thousand births
• जन्मसहस्रोत्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + सहस्र + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्); समासः तत्पुरुष (जन्मसहस्रेभ्यः उत्थम्)

• पदमात्रेण: by merely a step
• पदमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; समासः तत्पुरुष (पदस्य मात्रया)

• गच्छताम्: of those who go
• गच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural ‘of those who go’

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

• हरते: removes
• हरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘takes away/removes’

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चयार्थक (particle of certainty)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• दर्शनात्: from seeing (him)
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim lifts one foot to take the first step toward Dvārakā; in the distance the city gleams by the sea, while a radiant vision of Kṛṣṇa bestows liberation, chains of sin breaking apart.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a supreme tīrtha with devotion purifies deeply, and direct divine encounter (darśana) leads to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, especially as the place of Kṛṣṇa’s presence and darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā (going toward/visiting Dvārakā) and seeking Kṛṣṇa-darśana.