Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वासुदेवं स वै द्रष्टुं नित्यं द्वारवतीं पुरीम् । आयाति ऋषिभिः सार्द्धं क्रोधेन ऋषि सत्तमः

Transliteration

vāsudevaṃ sa vai draṣṭuṃ nityaṃ dvāravatīṃ purīm | āyāti ṛṣibhiḥ sārddhaṃ krodhena ṛṣi sattamaḥ

Translation

To behold Vāsudeva, he would regularly come to the city of Dvāravatī with sages; yet on this occasion, the foremost of seers arrived in anger.

Word by Word

• vāsudevam: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• vāsudevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Vākyasaṃbandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/प्रमाण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive (भावे), ‘to see’

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• dvāravatīm: Dvāravatī
• dvāravatīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāravatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying purīm)

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āyāti: comes, arrives
• āyāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु) with ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ṛṣibhiḥ: with sages
• ṛṣibhiḥ: Sahakārī (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• sārddham: together with
• sārddham: Sahakārī (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārddham (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (postposition/adverb ‘together with’)

• krodhena: with anger, in wrath
• krodhena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; भावे/हेतौ ‘in anger/through anger’

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to saḥ

• sattamaḥ: the best (sage)
• sattamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/कर्मधारयार्थ: ‘best among the good’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ṛṣiḥ)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada approaches Dvāravatī with a company of sages; his face and posture show controlled wrath—an ethical thundercloud—while the city’s grandeur contrasts with the tension of impending reproach.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Sages (Ṛṣis)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine visitors may arrive in sternness to correct adharma; proximity to the Lord demands humility and proper conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) is named, within the broader Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya narrative that connects sacred regions of western India.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.