Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स दूतं प्रेषयामास द्वारकायां महोदरम् । स गत्वा प्राह विष्णुं वै चक्रादीनि परित्यज

Transliteration

sa dūtaṃ preṣayāmāsa dvārakāyāṃ mahodaram | sa gatvā prāha viṣṇuṃ vai cakrādīni parityaja

Translation

Er sandte einen Boten—Mahodara—nach Dvārakā. Dort angekommen, sagte der Gesandte wahrlich zu Viṣṇu: „Lege die Scheibe und die übrigen Embleme ab.“

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दूतम्: a messenger
• दूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रेषयामास: sent
• प्रेषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्/इष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic perfect/परस्मैपद-लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense "to send" (प्रेषयति)

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• महोदरम्: Mahodara (big-bellied one)
• महोदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महत् उदरं यस्य)

• सः: he (the messenger)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विष्णुम्: to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• चक्रादीनि: the discus etc.
• चक्रादीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• परित्यज: abandon/give up
• परित्यज: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal messenger (Mahodara) arrives in sea-girt Dvārakā, delivering Pauṇḍraka’s insolent command to Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa to abandon the cakra and other emblems; courtiers watch, tension rising.

Characters & Entities

• Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva
• Mahodara (messenger)
• Dvārakā
• Viṣṇu
• Cakra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogance can escalate into direct opposition to divinity; dharma warns against coercing the sacred through pride and false authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is referenced as the divine seat approached by the messenger in this narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative action (sending a messenger) that sets up the ensuing doctrinal and moral consequence.