Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

द्वारकायां प्रकर्त्तव्यं प्रत्यहं गमनं मया । त्वत्कथाश्रवणार्थं च नित्यं पुस्तकवाचनम्

Transliteration

dvārakāyāṃ prakarttavyaṃ pratyahaṃ gamanaṃ mayā | tvatkathāśravaṇārthaṃ ca nityaṃ pustakavācanam

Translation

J’irai chaque jour à Dvārakā ; et, afin d’entendre le récit de Tes actes sacrés, je lirai quotidiennement les Écritures saintes.

Word by Word

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

• प्रकर्तव्यं: to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यं: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकर्तव्य (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, उपसर्गः प्र-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्, कर्तव्यतार्थे (neut. nom./acc. sg.; to be done)

• प्रत्यहम्: daily
• प्रत्यहम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (indecl.; ‘each day’)

• गमनम्: going
• गमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गमन (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् धातु से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartrikarana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपदम्; ‘त्वत्’ = ‘तव’ (genitive stem used in compounds)

• कथा: story/discourse
• कथा: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग) (fem. stem in compound)

• श्रवणार्थम्: for hearing
• श्रवणार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक-समासः (neut. acc. sg.; ‘for the purpose of hearing’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (indecl.; conjunction)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषणम्; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (indecl. adverbial use: ‘always’)

• पुस्तकवाचनम्: reading of (the) book/scripture
• पुस्तकवाचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तक + वाचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पुस्तकस्य वाचनम्’) (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

Speaker

Candraśarman (addressing Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee walks daily toward Dvārakā’s temple, carrying a scripture; inside a mandapa, a reader recites Kṛṣṇa’s deeds to gathered listeners, with the sea and city gates in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kathā-śravaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place and sacred hearing reinforce each other: tirtha-sevā and kṛṣṇa-kathā sustain devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, highlighted as a daily-worthy pilgrimage destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular visitation to Dvārakā and daily reading/hearing of the Lord’s narratives.