Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कलौ द्वारवती सेव्या ज्ञात्वा पुण्यं विशेषतः । षटपुर्यश्चैव सुलभा दुर्ल्लभा द्वारका कलौ

Transliteration

kalau dvāravatī sevyā jñātvā puṇyaṃ viśeṣataḥ | ṣaṭapuryaścaiva sulabhā durllabhā dvārakā kalau

Translation

In Kali-yuga, knowing its extraordinary merit, one should devote oneself to Dvāravatī (Dvārakā). Though the six sacred cities are accessible, Dvārakā is difficult to attain in Kali-yuga.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• द्वारवती: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सेव्या: should be visited/served
• सेव्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सेव् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive: 'to be served/visited')

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

• षट्पुर्यः: the six sacred cities
• षट्पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्+पुरी (प्रातिपदिक; षट्पुरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (six cities)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• सुलभाः: easy to obtain/accessible
• सुलभाः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• दुर्लभा: hard to obtain/rare
• दुर्लभा: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्+लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

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

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: the speaker urges the king to serve Dvārakā in Kali, emphasizing its special merit and rarity; a map-like vision of the six sacred cities appears, with Dvārakā highlighted yet distant across the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Ṣaṭpurī (six sacred cities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, consciously choosing the harder, higher pilgrimage—Dvārakā—brings special merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā (Dvāravatī), presented as uniquely meritorious yet difficult to reach in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/resorting to Dvārakā—undertaking pilgrimage and devotional engagement there.