Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एकैकस्मिन्पदे दत्ते पुरीं द्वारवतीं प्रति । पुण्यं क्रतुसहस्रेण कलौ भवति देहिनाम्

Transliteration

ekaikasminpade datte purīṃ dvāravatīṃ prati | puṇyaṃ kratusahasreṇa kalau bhavati dehinām

Translation

À l’âge de Kali, pour les êtres incarnés, chaque pas fait vers la cité de Dvāravatī engendre un mérite égal à mille sacrifices rituels (kratu).

Word by Word

• एकैकस्मिन्: in each (single)
• एकैकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः ‘each and every’ (एकः च एकः)

• पदे: step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्ते: when (it) is taken/given
• दत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (a step) is taken/given’

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvāravatī
• द्वारवतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुरी-विशेषण

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Gati/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition): ‘towards’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रतुसहस्रेण: by (the equivalent of) a thousand sacrifices
• क्रतुसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रतूनां सहस्रम्)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes, arises
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī / Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in simple dress walk step-by-step toward the sea-girt golden city of Dvārakā; each footprint glows like a sacrificial altar, suggesting ‘kratu-sahasra’ merit per step.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Kali (Kaliyuga)
• Kratu
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, sincere movement toward a holy goal is itself a powerful sādhana—every step toward Dvārakā is counted as immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā, specifically the act of journeying toward it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yātrā (pilgrimage) is implied as the practice: taking steps toward Dvārakā is praised as yielding great puṇya.