Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

तपसा किं प्रतप्तेन दानेनाध्ययनेन किम् । सर्वावस्थोऽपि मुच्येत गतः कृष्णपुरीं यदि

Transliteration

tapasā kiṃ prataptena dānenādhyayanena kim | sarvāvastho'pi mucyeta gataḥ kṛṣṇapurīṃ yadi

Translation

À quoi bon les austérités pénibles ? À quoi bon les dons ou l’étude des Écritures ? En quelque état que l’on soit, on est délivré si l’on est allé à la cité de Kṛṣṇa (Dvārakā).

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• प्रतप्तेन: performed intensely
• प्रतप्तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + तप् (धातु) → प्रतप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तपसा)

• दानेन: by giving/charity
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अध्ययनेन: by study
• अध्ययनेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• सर्व-अवस्थः: in any condition/whatever his state
• सर्व-अवस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वासु अवस्थासु स्थितः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘विमुच्येत’

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘gone’

• कृष्णपुरीम्: Kṛṣṇa’s city
• कृष्णपुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य पुरी)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇapurī/Dvāravatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘putraka’ (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary seeker burdened by failed austerities and limited means reaches Dvārakā’s gates; the city radiates divine light, and the pilgrim’s bonds fall away symbolically.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇapurī (Dvārakā)
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace concentrated in a sacred place can grant liberation beyond the fruits of personal effort alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛṣṇapurī—Dvārakā, the sacred city of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Going to Dvārakā (tīrtha-yātrā) is presented as the decisive liberating act.