Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पश्चिमाशां नरः स्नात्वा कृत्वा वै करसंपुटम् । द्वारकां ये स्मरिष्यंति तेषां कोटिगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

paścimāśāṃ naraḥ snātvā kṛtvā vai karasaṃpuṭam | dvārakāṃ ye smariṣyaṃti teṣāṃ koṭiguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

Nachdem man gebadet und die Hände zur Schale gefaltet hat (karasaṃpuṭa), erlangen jene, die nach Westen gewandt an Dvārakā gedenken, Verdienst, das sich um ein Krore vervielfacht.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमाशाम्: the western direction
• पश्चिमाशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिमाशा (प्रातिपदिक) < पश्चिम + आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पश्चिमी आशा)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having bathed)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having done/made)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/निश्चयार्थ

• करसंपुटम्: a hollow of joined hands (hand-cup)
• करसंपुटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करसंपुट (प्रातिपदिक) < कर + संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करयोः संपुटः)

• द्वारकाम्: Dvaraka
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नगर-नाम

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• स्मरिष्यन्ति: will remember
• स्मरिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• कोटिगुणम्: multiplied a crore-fold
• कोटिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटिगुण (प्रातिपदिक) < कोटि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कोट्या गुणितम्) विशेषण

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (within Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Dvāravatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa / nṛpa (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim after sea-bath stands on the shore, facing west toward the setting sun, hands cupped in añjali, remembering the golden city of Dvārakā with temple spires and ocean waves behind.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• paścimāśā (west)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple embodied devotion—purification by bathing and mindful remembrance—can yield extraordinary spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, approached through remembrance and directional devotion (westward orientation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After snāna, perform karasaṃpuṭa (cupped hands) and remember Dvārakā facing the western direction.