Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

युगेयुगे द्वारवत्या रत्नानि परितो मुषन् । अब्धीरत्नाकरोद्यापि लोकेषु परिगीयते

Transliteration

yugeyuge dvāravatyā ratnāni parito muṣan | abdhīratnākarodyāpi lokeṣu parigīyate

Translation

Zeitalter um Zeitalter plünderte er rings um Dvāravatī die Juwelen; noch heute wird er in den Welten besungen als „der Ozean — die Schatzgrube der Edelsteine“.

Word by Word

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• युगे: in (each) age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular); पुनरुक्ति (iteration)

• द्वारवत्या: in/at Dvāravatī
• द्वारवत्या: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थ (indeclinable: around, on all sides)

• मुषन्: stealing
• मुषन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (agreeing with implied agent)

• अब्धि: ocean
• अब्धि: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular); समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• रत्नाकरः: the mine/source of gems
• रत्नाकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + आकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘रत्नानाम् आकरः’ (mine/source of gems)

• उद्य: (as) rising/coming forth (poetic)
• उद्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Particle-like/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘उद्य’ = ‘उद्यम्य/उद्गत्य’ इत्यर्थे (indeclinable, poetic; here as part of sandhi with ‘अपि’)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• लोकेषु: in the worlds/among people
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Locative plural)

• परिगीयते: is sung/celebrated
• परिगीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī/Dvārakā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mythic ocean encircles jewel-bright Dvāravatī; waves glitter as if carrying stolen gems, while bards sing of the sea as Ratnākara across ages.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Abdhi (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic memory preserves moral and cosmic meanings through names—here, the ocean’s epithet reflects mythic actions remembered across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) is referenced; the verse primarily explains the fame of the ocean as Ratnākara rather than praising a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is descriptive (kathā/itihāsa-style) rather than prescriptive.