Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मनसा चिन्तयेद्यो वै कलौ द्वारवतीं पुरीम् । कपिलाऽयुतपुण्यं च लभते हेलया नरः

Transliteration

manasā cintayedyo vai kalau dvāravatīṃ purīm | kapilā'yutapuṇyaṃ ca labhate helayā naraḥ

Translation

En l’âge de Kali, quiconque contemple en son esprit la cité de Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) obtient—comme sans peine—un mérite égal au don de dix mille vaches Kapilā.

Word by Word

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should think/meditate
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvaravati
• द्वारवतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नगर-नाम

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कपिलायुतपुण्यम्: merit equal to ten-thousand cows
• कपिलायुतपुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिलायुतपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) < कपिला + अयुत + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कपिलानाम् अयुतस्य पुण्यम् / कपिलायुत-संबद्धं पुण्यम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हेलया: casually/with ease
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (manuṣyādhipa implied in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation, eyes half-closed, visualizing the ocean-ringed city of Dvārakā; in the vision appear rows of Kapilā cows as symbolic merit, while Kṛṣṇa’s presence sanctifies the mind.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Kali-yuga
• Kapilā (cow-gift merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mental remembrance of a supremely sacred tīrtha like Dvārakā bears immense merit in Kali-yuga, showing the accessibility of dharma through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā, the sacred city associated with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No physical rite is prescribed; the act is smaraṇa—contemplative remembrance—said to equal the merit of Kapilā cow-gifts.