Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

विवदतौ तथा विप्रौ राजद्वारमुपागतौ । कुर्वाणौ कलहं घोरं त्यक्तुकामौ स्वजीवितम्

Transliteration

vivadatau tathā viprau rājadvāramupāgatau | kurvāṇau kalahaṃ ghoraṃ tyaktukāmau svajīvitam

Translation

So stritten die beiden Brāhmanen weiter und gelangten zum Tor des Königs, entfachten einen furchtbaren Streit, als wollten sie ihr eigenes Leben preisgeben.

Word by Word

• vivadatau: (two) disputing
• vivadatau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√vad (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• viprau: two brāhmaṇas
• viprau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• rājadvāram: the king's gate
• rājadvāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः द्वारम्)

• upāgatau: having approached
• upāgatau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• kurvāṇau: doing, making
• kurvāṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present middle participle), प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• kalaham: quarrel
• kalaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'kalaham')

• tyaktukāmau: desiring to abandon
• tyaktukāmau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyaktu (√tyaj धातोः तुमुन्-अन्त) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (त्यक्तुं कामः)

• svajīvitam: their own life
• svajīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वं जीवितम्)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two brāhmaṇas storm toward the palace gate, still arguing; guards and a gatekeeper visible; the cow is pulled along; the quarrel feels ‘ghora’, with onlookers alarmed.

Characters & Entities

• Two brāhmaṇas
• King’s gate/court (rājadvāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When private conflict escalates, dharma directs people toward lawful adjudication; the king’s court is a refuge meant to prevent chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative within Dvārakā Māhātmya points to Dvārakā’s sacred social order—where dharma is upheld through righteous governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights recourse to the king’s justice rather than violence.