Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सर्वक्षेत्रोत्तमा या च सर्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमा । स्वर्गादप्यधिका भूमौ द्वारकेयं प्रकाशते

Transliteration

sarvakṣetrottamā yā ca sarvatīrthottamottamā | svargādapyadhikā bhūmau dvārakeyaṃ prakāśate

Translation

Dvārakā, la plus haute de tous les kṣetra sacrés et la plus excellente de tous les tīrtha, resplendit sur la terre, surpassant même le ciel.

Word by Word

• sarva-kṣetra-uttamā: best among all sacred places
• sarva-kṣetra-uttamā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां क्षेत्राणां उत्तमा)

• yā: which (she who)
• yā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• sarva-tīrtha-uttama-uttamā: best even among the best of all tīrthas
• sarva-tīrtha-uttama-uttamā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक) + uttamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां तीर्थानां उत्तमानाम् अपि उत्तमा)

• svargāt: than heaven / from heaven
• svargāt: Apadana (Source/Comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• adhikā: greater / superior
• adhikā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण (comparative sense)

• bhūmau: on earth
• bhūmau: Adhikara (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (apposition)

• prakāśate: shines forth / is manifest
• prakāśate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kāś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; प्र-उपसर्ग

Speaker

Devas (continuing praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dvārakā shines on earth with a brilliance outshining celestial realms; above, a faint depiction of svarga is shown as secondary, while the city below radiates as the true ‘higher-than-heaven’ sanctuary; devas gesture in affirmation.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Svarga (heaven)
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earthly sacred geography can exceed celestial realms because it grants direct access to dharma, devotion, and liberation-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is praised as the supreme kṣetra and tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the verse functions as a māhātmya-assertion of Dvārakā’s unrivaled sanctity.