Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

धृत्वा शंखोदकं यस्तु भ्रामयेत्केशवोपरि । संनिधौ वसते विष्णोः कल्पांतं क्षीरसागरे

Transliteration

dhṛtvā śaṃkhodakaṃ yastu bhrāmayetkeśavopari | saṃnidhau vasate viṣṇoḥ kalpāṃtaṃ kṣīrasāgare

Translation

Wer Wasser, das in der Muschel (Śaṅkha) geheiligt wurde, nimmt und es über Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) kreisen lässt, weilt bis zum Ende der Kalpa in der unmittelbaren Gegenwart Viṣṇus, im Milchozean.

Word by Word

• धृत्वा: having held/taken
• धृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातुः—धृ (धारणे)

• शङ्खोदकम्: conch-water
• शङ्खोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खस्य उदकम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• भ्रामयेत्: should whirl/rotate
• भ्रामयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः—भ्रम् (भ्रमणे/भ्रामणे causative sense implied by context)

• केशव: of Keshava (Vishnu)
• केशव: Sambandha (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचनम् (उपरि इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः)

• उपरि: above/over
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb/postposition)

• संनिधौ: in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• कल्पान्तम्: until the end of a kalpa
• कल्पान्तम्: Adhikarana (Duration limit/कालपर्यन्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कालपर्यन्त), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कल्पस्य अन्तः)

• क्षीरसागरे: in the Milk Ocean
• क्षीरसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (क्षीरः सागरः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style within a Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Keśava-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest/devotee holds a conch filled with sanctified water and gently circles it above Keśava’s head; behind, a visionary backdrop hints at the Ocean of Milk with white waves and celestial light.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Viṣṇu
• Kṣīrasāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, reverent ritual service to Keśava—done with devotion—leads to enduring proximity to Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented in the Dvārakā Māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Circling (bhrāmaṇa) conch-sanctified water (śaṅkhodaka) over Keśava as an act of worship.