Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

द्वारका मनसा ध्याता पापं वर्षशतान्वितम् । कीर्तनाच्छतजन्मोत्थं दहते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

dvārakā manasā dhyātā pāpaṃ varṣaśatānvitam | kīrtanācchatajanmotthaṃ dahate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Dvārakā, schon wenn man sie im Geist betrachtet, vernichtet Sünden, die sich über Hunderte von Jahren angesammelt haben; und durch ihr Lobpreisen (kīrtana) verbrennt sie Sünden aus hundert Leben — daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• ध्याता: meditated upon
• ध्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past passive participle used adjectivally with द्वारका (‘meditated upon’)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• वर्षशतान्वितम्: accompanied by (sins of) a hundred years
• वर्षशतान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्षशत + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वर्षशतेन अन्वितम्)

• कीर्तनात्: from (mere) chanting
• कीर्तनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular

• शतजन्मोत्थम्: arisen from a hundred births
• शतजन्मोत्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + जन्म + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्); समासः तत्पुरुष (शतजन्मभ्यः उत्थम्)

• दहते: burns away
• दहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘burns/destroys’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेध (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: here)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation visualizes the golden ramparts and sea-girt city of Dvārakā; beside him, singers perform kīrtana as flames symbolically consume dark ‘pāpa’ forms.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mental remembrance and verbal praise of a supreme tīrtha like Dvārakā has transformative, sin-destroying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is explicitly glorified as a purifier of long-accumulated sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (mental contemplation) of Dvārakā and kīrtana (glorification/recitation) of her greatness.