Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

क्षेत्राणि कुरुमुख्यानि पश्यंतु द्वारकां प्रभोः । तादृशी मथुरा काशी मायाऽध्योध्या च राजते

Transliteration

kṣetrāṇi kurumukhyāni paśyaṃtu dvārakāṃ prabhoḥ | tādṛśī mathurā kāśī māyā'dhyodhyā ca rājate

Translation

Let the foremost sacred kṣetras—beginning with Kurukṣetra—behold the Lord’s Dvārakā. In the same way, Mathurā, Kāśī, and Māyā (Haridvāra) along with Ayodhyā also shine in glory.

Word by Word

• क्षेत्राणि: sacred regions
• क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• कुरुमुख्यानि: chief among the Kurus
• कुरुमुख्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुरु + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां मुख्यानि) विशेषण (क्षेत्राणि)

• पश्यन्तु: let (them) see
• पश्यन्तु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्वारकाम्: Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रभोः: of the Lord
• प्रभोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तादृशी: such/like that
• तादृशी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• माया: Māyā (name of a city/region)
• माया: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अध्योध्या: Adhyodhyā/Ayodhyā
• अध्योध्या: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्योध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पाठान्तरम्: अयोध्या

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• राजते: shines/is resplendent
• राजते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from narrative flow; Prahlāda speaks starting at the next marked verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (in relation to Kurukṣetra, Mathurā, Kāśī, Haridvāra, Ayodhyā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized ‘garland of kṣetras’: miniature vignettes of Kurukṣetra’s sacred field, Mathurā’s Yamunā ghāṭa, Kāśī’s lamps, Haridvāra’s Gaṅgā descent, Ayodhyā’s royal temple-town, all oriented toward a central shining Dvārakā emblem.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Dvārakā
• Mathurā
• Kāśī
• Māyā (Haridvāra)
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision maps dharma onto geography—multiple kṣetras shine with divine presence, guiding devotees toward tīrtha-yātrā and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is highlighted as the Lord’s city, while Mathurā, Kāśī, Māyā (Haridvāra), and Ayodhyā are also affirmed as radiant kṣetras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse praises pilgrimage and darśana of the kṣetras.