Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पुरुषोत्तमं महाक्षेत्रमरण्यान्यादयः शुभाः । त्रैलोक्ये वर्त्तमानानि सर्वतीर्थानि सर्वशः

Transliteration

puruṣottamaṃ mahākṣetramaraṇyānyādayaḥ śubhāḥ | trailokye varttamānāni sarvatīrthāni sarvaśaḥ

Translation

Puruṣottama’s supreme sacred realm—and the auspicious forests and other holy tracts—are such that all tīrthas existing throughout the three worlds are present here, in every way.

Word by Word

• पुरुषोत्तमम्: Puruṣottama (holy place/name)
• पुरुषोत्तमम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमः पुरुषः)

• महाक्षेत्रम्: great sacred region
• महाक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अरण्यानि-आदयः: forests and others
• अरण्यानि-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदयः’ = आदि-शब्दस्य प्रथमा-बहुवचन (and others)

• शुभाः: auspicious
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + लोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वर्त्तमानानि: existing, present
• वर्त्तमानानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु) → वर्तमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वतीर्थानि: all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• सर्वशः: in every way, altogether
• सर्वशः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in every way/entirely)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; prior speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puruṣottama-mahākṣetra (sarva-tīrtha-maya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred forest and kṣetra landscape labeled ‘Puruṣottama Mahākṣetra’, within which miniature icons of countless tīrthas (rivers, ghats, liṅgas, viṣṇu-mūrtis) appear as if nested worlds—‘three-loka tīrthas’ folded into one terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣottama
• Tīrtha
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā is praised as a supremely concentrated sacred landscape where the merit of many pilgrimages is gathered in one place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā as the Puruṣottama-mahākṣetra, portrayed as encompassing all tīrthas of the three worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes the mahātmya (greatness) of the kṣetra as a pilgrimage destination.