Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

देव राज्येन किं तस्य तथा मुक्तिपदेन च । न दृष्टा चेज्जगन्माता रुक्मिणी कृष्णवल्लभा

Transliteration

deva rājyena kiṃ tasya tathā muktipadena ca | na dṛṣṭā cejjaganmātā rukmiṇī kṛṣṇavallabhā

Translation

What use to such a person is sovereignty among the gods, or even the station of liberation, if Jagad-mātā Rukmiṇī, the beloved of Kṛṣṇa, has not been beheld?

Word by Word

• देव: divine
• देव: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; here used as पूर्वपद-विशेषण to राज्येन (i.e., ‘divine’); अव्यक्त-सम्बन्ध (elliptic)

• राज्येन: by/with kingship, sovereignty
• राज्येन: Karana (Means/with kingship)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prayojana/Prashna
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तस्य: for him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise, similarly
• तथा: Sambandha/Upapada (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• मुक्तिपदेन: with the state of liberation
• मुक्तिपदेन: Karana (Means/with liberation-state)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः पदम् = state/abode of liberation)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• दृष्टा: (has been) seen
• दृष्टा: Karma (in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Hetu/Condition (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle: ‘if’)

• जगन्माता: Mother of the world
• जगन्माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जगतः माता)

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कृष्णवल्लभा: beloved of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णवल्लभा: Visheshana/Apposition
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य वल्लभा)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style in Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-darśana in Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative devotee weighs crowns and celestial emblems against a single darśana of Jagad-mātā Rukmiṇī; the imagery asserts devotion’s supremacy over heaven and even liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Rukmiṇī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Mukti
• Deva-rājya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse elevates loving darśana and devotion above even celestial power or abstract liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā/Dvāravatī, where Rukmiṇī’s darśana is central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on seeking darśana of Rukmiṇī.