Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच । द्वारकायाश्च माहात्म्यं कथयस्व प्रसादतः । चतुर्युगं यथाभागैर्धर्मवृद्धिं जनो लभेत्

Transliteration

indra uvāca | dvārakāyāśca māhātmyaṃ kathayasva prasādataḥ | caturyugaṃ yathābhāgairdharmavṛddhiṃ jano labhet

Translation

Indra dit : Par ta grâce, raconte la grandeur de Dvārakā et expose les quatre yuga selon leurs justes divisions, afin que les hommes obtiennent l’accroissement du dharma.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथयस्व: tell, narrate
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रसादतः: by (your) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/through'), हेतौ/निमित्ते (cause/means)

• चतुर्युगम्: the four-yuga cycle
• चतुर्युगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: manner)

• भागैः: by parts, by divisions
• भागैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धर्मवृद्धिम्: increase of dharma
• धर्मवृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनः: a person, people (one)
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bṛhaspati

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, hands folded, requests Bṛhaspati to narrate Dvārakā’s greatness and the divisions of the four yugas; behind them, a cosmic wheel of time (kāla-cakra) is faintly depicted, linking place and time.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dvārakā
• Caturyuga (four yugas)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning sacred geography and yuga-dharma from a qualified teacher is presented as a means to strengthen righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, explicitly requested for its māhātmya (sacred greatness).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes śravaṇa (hearing) and instruction for dharma-vṛddhi.