Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कथयस्व सुरश्रेष्ठ कथं विष्णुर्महीतले । स्थितश्चानर्त्तविषय एतद्विस्तरतो वद

Transliteration

kathayasva suraśreṣṭha kathaṃ viṣṇurmahītale | sthitaścānarttaviṣaya etadvistarato vada

Translation

Ô le plus excellent des dieux, dis-moi : comment Viṣṇu vint-il demeurer sur la terre, et comment prit-Il place dans le pays d’Ānarta (la région de Dvārakā) ? Expose-le-moi en détail.

Word by Word

• kathayasva: tell (please)
• kathayasva: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (√kath/कथ् caus./denom. from kathā)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sura-śreṣṭha: O best of the gods
• sura-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘surāṇāṃ śreṣṭha’

• katham: how
• katham: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahī-tale: on the earth
• mahī-tale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘mahīyāḥ tale’ (on the earth’s surface)

• sthitaḥ: remained, stayed
• sthitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (State of subject/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; viṣṇuḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ānarta-viṣaye: in the Ānarta region
• ānarta-viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ānartasya viṣaye’ (in the Ānarta region)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• vistarataḥ: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistaratas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• vada: speak, tell
• vada: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unnamed interlocutor (listener in the Dvārakā Māhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta/Dvārakā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reverent petitioner addresses a radiant deva, asking for the full account of Viṣṇu’s taking residence in Ānarta; the coastline and city silhouette appear behind them as a sacred map.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are understood through sacred history: the Lord’s presence on earth is revealed by attentive listening to māhātmya narration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānarta-deśa, centered on Dvārakā in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it is an invitation to hear the detailed māhātmya (śravaṇa) of the holy region.