Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अप्रदृश्या पुरा लोके दैत्यदानवरक्षसाम् । शरण्या देवतादीनां पुरीं तां को न सेवते

Transliteration

apradṛśyā purā loke daityadānavarakṣasām | śaraṇyā devatādīnāṃ purīṃ tāṃ ko na sevate

Translation

Einst war jene Stadt in der Welt für Daityas, Dānavas und Rākṣasas unsichtbar und unzugänglich; doch war sie Zuflucht selbst für die Götter und andere—wer würde sie nicht aufsuchen?

Word by Word

• अप्रदृश्या: invisible
• अप्रदृश्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रदृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेधपूर्वक विशेषण — “not visible”

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• दैत्य: demons (Daityas)
• दैत्य: Sambandha (Genitive-relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• दानव: Danavas
• दानव: Sambandha (Genitive-relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• रक्षसाम्: of demons, danavas, and rakshasas
• रक्षसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समास: दैत्य-दानव-रक्षसाम् (द्वन्द्वः—समाहार/इतरेतर; ‘of Daityas, Danavas and Rakṣasas’)

• शरण्या: a refuge; protectress
• शरण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण — “worthy of refuge/protecting”

• देवता: deities
• देवता: Sambandha (Genitive-relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• आदीनाम्: of the gods and others
• आदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समास: देवता-आदीनाम् (तत्पुरुषः—‘देवतादीनाम्’ = of the gods and others)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• सेवते: serves/visits
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sea-girt city with towering gates and divine guardians; devas approach in reverence while shadowy asuric figures are kept outside by an unseen barrier.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Dānava
• Rākṣasa
• Devatā
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is protected by divine order: it becomes a sanctuary for the virtuous and remains beyond the reach of hostile forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, praised as divinely safeguarded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the implied dharma is sevā/yātrā—resorting to and honoring the sacred city.