Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

श्रद्धया परया युक्तौ द्वारकां प्रत्यवोचतुः । त्वं देवि सर्वतीर्थानां क्षेत्राणामुत्तमोत्तमा

Transliteration

śraddhayā parayā yuktau dvārakāṃ pratyavocatuḥ | tvaṃ devi sarvatīrthānāṃ kṣetrāṇāmuttamottamā

Translation

Doués d’une foi suprême, tous deux s’adressèrent à Dvārakā : «Ô Déesse, parmi tous les tīrthas et les kṣetras sacrés, tu es la meilleure des meilleures.»

Word by Word

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/साधन) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental case, Singular)

• परया: supreme, highest
• परया: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘श्रद्धया’ (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; adjective of ‘śraddhayā’)

• युक्तौ: the two endowed (with)
• युक्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Dual; past participle ‘joined/endowed’)

• द्वारकाम्: Dvārikā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रत्यवोचतुः: they two addressed/spoke to
• प्रत्यवोचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति+अव+√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Dual)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhyamanah/Karta (Addressed subject/सम्बोध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nominative, Singular)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तीर्थ-शब्दः), षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (Neuter, Genitive, Plural; ‘all sacred fords/pilgrimage places’)

• क्षेत्राणाम्: of (all) sacred fields/holy places
• क्षेत्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• उत्तमोत्तमा: the most excellent
• उत्तमोत्तमा: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम + उत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम् ‘त्वम्/द्वारका’ (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; ‘best of the best’)

Speaker

Brahmā and Maheśa (implied by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī Dvārakā (kṣetra personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Maheśa, radiant and composed, address the goddess Dvārakā—visualized as a crowned city-deity or a feminine divinity emerging from the cityscape—while sages and devas listen.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Devī (Dvārakā personified)
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras
• Brahmā
• Maheśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a holy place with supreme faith reveals its highest spiritual stature and transformative power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Dvārakā is explicitly proclaimed the foremost among all tīrthas and kṣetras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the emphasis is on parā-śraddhā (supreme faith) in approaching the kṣetra.