Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

धन्यास्ते यतयः सर्वे ये वसंति कलौ युगे । कृष्णमाश्रित्य दैत्येन्द्र द्वारकायां दिनेदिने

Transliteration

dhanyāste yatayaḥ sarve ye vasaṃti kalau yuge | kṛṣṇamāśritya daityendra dvārakāyāṃ dinedine

Translation

Blessed indeed are all those ascetics who dwell in the Kali age—O lord of the Daityas—taking refuge in Kṛṣṇa, day after day, in Dvārakā.

Word by Word

• धन्याः: blessed
• धन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; विशेषणम् (यतयः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; ‘they/those’

• यतयः: ascetics
• यतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; विशेषणम् (यतयः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• वसन्ति: live, dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present Indicative, 3rd Person, Plural

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

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) — Absolutive: ‘having resorted to’

• दैत्येन्द्र: O lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः)

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; पुनरुक्ति (day by day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Daityendra (lord of the Daityas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics in simple ochre/white garments dwell near the sea-walled city of Dvārakā, facing a shrine of Kṛṣṇa; the sense is of daily refuge and steady devotion amid Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga
• Kṛṣṇa
• Dvārakā
• Daityendra
• Yati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali Yuga, steady refuge in Kṛṣṇa—especially in Dvārakā—is praised as a blessed way of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is explicitly glorified as the daily refuge-place of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Live in Dvārakā (or align one’s life with it) and continually take refuge in Kṛṣṇa through daily devotion.