Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

धन्या सा मथुरा लोके यत्र जातो हरिः स्वयम् । द्वारका सफला लोके क्रीडितं यत्र विष्णुना

Transliteration

dhanyā sā mathurā loke yatra jāto hariḥ svayam | dvārakā saphalā loke krīḍitaṃ yatra viṣṇunā

Translation

Bénie est Mathurā en ce monde, car Hari lui-même y naquit. Accomplie et féconde est Dvārakā en ce monde, car Viṣṇu y déploya son līlā divin.

Word by Word

• धन्या: blessed, fortunate
• धन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• मथुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः; 'born'

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवता-नाम

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic adverb: 'himself')

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• सफला: fruitful, successful
• सफला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रीडितम्: sporting (was done), play
• क्रीडितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + क्रीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः; 'sporting/playing (done)'

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā; Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two sacred vignettes: Mathurā as the blessed birthplace of Hari, and Dvārakā as the fulfilled city where Viṣṇu sports—temples, devotees, and Krishna’s presence implied through iconography.

Characters & Entities

• Mathurā
• Dvārakā
• Hari
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Places sanctified by the Lord’s birth and līlā become enduring sources of blessing and spiritual fulfillment for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mathurā (birthplace of Hari) and Dvārakā (scene of Viṣṇu’s divine sports).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a praise statement grounding pilgrimage devotion.