Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा सर्वदेवानां क्षेत्रादीनां च सत्तमाः । आधिपत्ये सुरेशानौ द्वारकामभिषेचतुः

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | ityuktvā sarvadevānāṃ kṣetrādīnāṃ ca sattamāḥ | ādhipatye sureśānau dvārakāmabhiṣecatuḥ

Translation

Prahlada sagte: „Nachdem sie so gesprochen hatten, weihten die beiden Herren der Götter – die Ersten unter allen Gottheiten und heiligen Reichen – Dwaraka zur Souveränität.“

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having said’

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• क्षेत्रादीनाम्: of the holy places and the like
• क्षेत्रादीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘क्षेत्राणि आदीनि येषाम्/क्षेत्रादयः’) (Neuter, Genitive, Plural; ‘of the sacred places etc.’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सत्तमाः: the best (ones)
• सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘the best (persons)’)

• आधिपत्ये: in sovereignty/overlordship
• आधिपत्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• सुरेशानौ: the two lords of the gods
• सुरेशानौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual; ‘two lords of gods’)

• द्वारकाम्: Dvārikā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• अभिषेचतुः: they two consecrated/anointed
• अभिषेचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+√सिच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Dual)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda narrates as Brahmā and Īśāna (Śiva) or two divine lords perform a ceremonial abhiṣeka of the city Dvārakā—depicted as a crowned city-goddess or as a temple-city receiving libations from golden vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Dvārakā
• Brahmā
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Devas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are not merely locations; they are revered as living seats of dharma, worthy of enthronement in devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is ritually elevated as sovereign among sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka (ritual consecration/anointing) is explicitly mentioned as performed for Dvārakā.