Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

राजसूयाश्वमेधाद्यैः सर्वयज्ञैश्च किं भवेत् । सेवनैः क्षेत्रतीर्थानां तपोभिर्विविधैस्तु किम्

Transliteration

rājasūyāśvamedhādyaiḥ sarvayajñaiśca kiṃ bhavet | sevanaiḥ kṣetratīrthānāṃ tapobhirvividhaistu kim

Translation

Que gagne-t-on même par le Rājasūya, l’Aśvamedha et tous les sacrifices ? Et à quoi bon servir tant de lieux saints et de tīrtha, ou pratiquer diverses austérités, lorsque le mérite suprême proclamé ici est à portée ?

Word by Word

• राजसूयाश्वमेधाद्यैः: by Rājasūya, Aśvamedha, etc.
• राजसूयाश्वमेधाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (राजसूयः च अश्वमेधः च) + 'आदि' (etc.)

• सर्वयज्ञैः: by all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वे यज्ञाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• भवेत्: would be/occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सेवनैः: by service/visiting
• सेवनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• क्षेत्रतीर्थानाम्: of holy places and pilgrimage sites
• क्षेत्रतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (क्षेत्राणि च तीर्थानि च)

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (तपोभिः-विशेषण)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Royal sacrificial arena with aśvamedha horse, rājasūya paraphernalia, priests and kings; beside it, pilgrims visiting many shrines and ascetics in tapas. Above/center, Dvārakā with Kṛṣṇa as the unifying summit, drawing all lines of merit into one.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Rājasūya
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest Vedic sacrifices and severe austerities are portrayed as secondary to the direct sanctifying power of Dvārakā-centered devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, implicitly as the higher destination whose merit makes other efforts comparatively unnecessary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices, general yajñas, kṣetra/tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage service), and varied tapas (austerities).