Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दूराद्धेममयं दृष्ट्वा कलशं ध्वजसंयुतम् । वाहनं संपरित्यज्य लुठते धरणीं गतः

Transliteration

dūrāddhemamayaṃ dṛṣṭvā kalaśaṃ dhvajasaṃyutam | vāhanaṃ saṃparityajya luṭhate dharaṇīṃ gataḥ

Translation

Sieht er von fern den goldenen Aufsatz (Kalaśa), bekrönt von einer Fahne, so verlässt er sein Gefährt, steigt zur Erde herab und wälzt sich in Hingabe auf dem Boden.

Word by Word

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: अपादान/देश (Source/distance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival adverb)

• हेममयम्: made of gold
• हेममयम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); तद्धितान्त विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• कलशम्: a finial/pot (kalasha)
• कलशम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ध्वजसंयुतम्: adorned with a flag
• ध्वजसंयुतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त, सम्+√युज् धातु)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); ‘ध्वजेन संयुतम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः, कृदन्त-विशेषणम्

• वाहनम्: vehicle
• वाहनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• संपरित्यज्य: having abandoned
• संपरित्यज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + परि + √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• लुठते: rolls about, wallows
• लुठते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लुठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• धरणीम्: the ground, earth
• धरणीम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• गतः: having gone, having reached (i.e., fallen to)
• गतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त, √गम् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhagavat-ketu (Lord’s banner) / Dvārakā-dhvaja-darśana

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a distance the pilgrim sees a gleaming golden finial atop the temple spire, a flag fluttering strongly; he leaps down from his cart/animal, falls to the earth, and rolls forward in ecstatic devotion as companions watch in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Temple flag (dhvaja)
• Kalaśa (temple finial)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a sacred shrine with humility and embodied devotion is praised as an expression of bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its temple-palace marks (kalaśa and dhvaja) visible from afar.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional practice is implied: dismounting and rolling/prostrating on the ground upon sighting the shrine’s signs.