Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

द्वारकागमनं येन कृतं कृष्णस्य कीर्तनम् । स्नातं तीर्थसहस्रैस्तु तेनेष्टं क्रतुकोटिभिः

Transliteration

dvārakāgamanaṃ yena kṛtaṃ kṛṣṇasya kīrtanam | snātaṃ tīrthasahasraistu teneṣṭaṃ kratukoṭibhiḥ

Translation

Celui qui s'est rendu à Dvārakā et a chanté les louanges de Kṛṣṇa a, pour ainsi dire, pris un bain dans des milliers de lieux saints et accompli des millions de sacrifices.

Word by Word

• द्वारकागमनम्: going to Dvārakā
• द्वारकागमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक) + गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समास: द्वारकायां गमनम् (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• येन: by which/through whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे/करणे

• कृतम्: done/accomplished
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (गमनम् इत्यस्य विधेय)

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कीर्तनम्: praise/chanting
• कीर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्नातम्: bathed
• स्नातम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अर्थे: स्नानं कृतम्)

• तीर्थसहस्रैः: by thousands of pilgrim-places
• तीर्थसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समास: तीर्थाणां सहस्रैः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle: but/indeed)

• तेन: by that (person/act)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• इष्टम्: sacrificed/worshipped
• इष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle) from √यज् (यष्टुम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अर्थे: यज्ञः कृतः)

• क्रतुकोटिभिः: by crores of sacrifices
• क्रतुकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समास: क्रतूनां कोटिभिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at Dvārakā’s sea-facing temple, hands folded, then joins a kīrtana; around him appear symbolic visions of countless tīrthas and yajña fires, all converging into the single act of Kṛṣṇa praise.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Tīrthas
• Vedic sacrifices (kratu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with kīrtana is portrayed as a concentrated form of dharma, granting vast merit traditionally associated with many tīrthas and sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified as a supreme pilgrimage destination, especially when paired with Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dvārakā-yātrā (journey to Dvārakā) and Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana are recommended as merit-bestowing practices.