Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एकैकस्मिन्पदे दत्ते द्वारकापथि गच्छताम् । पुण्यं क्रतुसहस्राणां तत्पादरजसंख्यया

Transliteration

ekaikasminpade datte dvārakāpathi gacchatām | puṇyaṃ kratusahasrāṇāṃ tatpādarajasaṃkhyayā

Translation

For those who journey on the road to Dvārakā, with each single step they set forward, merit arises equal to thousands of Vedic sacrifices—measured by the very number of dust-particles touched by their feet.

Word by Word

• एक-एकस्मिन्: in each (single)
• एक-एकस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (एकः एकः), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदे’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (Locative, Singular; adjectival)

• पदे: step; footstep
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• दत्ते: when (a step) is taken/given
• दत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदे’ इति पदेन सह सति-सप्तमी (Locative absolute sense)

• द्वारका-पथि: on the road to Dvārakā
• द्वारका-पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वारकायाः पथः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• गच्छताम्: of those who are going
• गच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गच्छत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) ‘गच्छत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• पुण्यम्: merit; religious merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• क्रतु-सहस्राणाम्: of thousands of sacrifices
• क्रतु-सहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्रतूनां सहस्राणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural)

• तत्-पाद-रज-संख्यया: by the measure/number of the dust of his feet
• तत्-पाद-रज-संख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-patha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of pilgrims’ feet on a sunlit road to Dvārakā; each step raises sacred dust that transforms into luminous symbols of sacrifices (yajña-kuṇḍas, ladles, flames) floating like sparks of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage undertaken with devotion is itself a sacrifice; even the physical act of walking toward a holy dhāma generates immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred abode associated with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and specifically the yātrā-path leading to it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the yātrā (journey on foot) itself is praised as producing sacrifice-like merit.