Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वहते गोमती यत्र सागरेण समंततः । द्वारावतीति सा विप्रा आनर्त्तेषु प्रकीर्त्तिता

Transliteration

vahate gomatī yatra sāgareṇa samaṃtataḥ | dvārāvatīti sā viprā ānartteṣu prakīrttitā

Translation

Wo die Gomati strömt und das Meer von allen Seiten umgibt—o Brahmanen, jener Ort ist unter den Ānartas als «Dvārāvatī» gerühmt.

Word by Word

• वहते: flows
• वहते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular), आत्मनेपदम्

• गोमती: Gomatī (river)
• गोमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular); नदी-नाम

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb of place)

• सागरेण: by the sea
• सागरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• समन्ततः: all around
• समन्ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: परितोऽर्थक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘on all sides’)

• द्वारावती: Dvārāvatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारा + वती (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular); नगर-नाम

• इति: thus, called
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• सा: that (city)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• विप्राः: Brahmins, sages
• विप्राः: Karta (Agent of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• आनर्त्तेषु: among the Ānarttas (in Ānarta region/people)
• आनर्त्तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम् (Plural); जनपद/देशवाचक

• प्रकीर्त्तिता: is proclaimed, is renowned
• प्रकीर्त्तिता: Kriyā (Predicate in passive sense/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (Past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘proclaimed’

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā) and Dvārāvatī

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sages (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Gomati river winds toward the sea; Dvārāvatī appears as a sacred city embraced by waters on all sides, with temples and ghats along the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī (river)
• Sāgara (ocean)
• Dvārāvatī
• Ānarta (region/people)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are mapped through rivers, seas, and regional memory—nature itself becomes a marker of sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārāvatī/Dvārakā, associated with the Gomati and the encircling ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style geographical identification of the tīrtha.