Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

यथो वै द्वारका वासो देवस्तत्र महेश्वरः । विरंचिर्यत्र तीर्थानि त्रीण्येतानि धरातले

Transliteration

yatho vai dvārakā vāso devastatra maheśvaraḥ | viraṃciryatra tīrthāni trīṇyetāni dharātale

Translation

Wie Dvārakā eine göttliche Wohnstatt ist und dort der Große Herr verehrt wird; und wo Virañci (Brahmā) weilt — so sind auf Erden diese drei als Tīrthas berühmt.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• उ: indeed
• उ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), बलार्थक/उत्कर्षार्थक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वासः: dwelling/residence
• वासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विरञ्चिः: Virañci (Brahmā)
• विरञ्चिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरञ्चि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (where)

• तीर्थानि: holy places/fords
• तीर्थानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• धरातले: on the surface of the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu (continuation; praising sacred geography)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (as exemplar tīrtha among a triad)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map-like scene: Dvārakā as a jeweled coastal city with temples; Maheśvara worship within; Brahmā (Virañci) indicated as presiding over a tīrtha; three luminous markers on the earth signifying the ‘three tīrthas’.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Virañci (Brahmā)
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earthly pilgrimage mirrors divine presence: tīrthas are sanctified as abodes where the great deities are especially accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is directly named; the verse also alludes to two other famed tīrthas associated with Maheśvara and Virañci.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it is a tīrtha-stuti (praise) establishing sacred status.