Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । मथुरा द्वारकाऽयोध्या कलिकाले पुरीत्रयम् । धर्मार्थकामदं भूप मोक्षदं हरिवल्लभम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | mathurā dvārakā'yodhyā kalikāle purītrayam | dharmārthakāmadaṃ bhūpa mokṣadaṃ harivallabham

Translation

मार्कण्डेय बोले—कलियुग में मथुरा, द्वारका और अयोध्या ये तीन महान पुरियाँ हैं। हे राजन्! ये धर्म, अर्थ और काम देती हैं तथा हरि को प्रिय होने से मोक्ष भी प्रदान करती हैं।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु; √वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• मथुरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अयोध्या: Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (locative determinative: 'in the time of Kali'), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• पुरीत्रयम्: the triad of cities
• पुरीत्रयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: three cities), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• धर्मार्थकामदम्: granting dharma, wealth, and desire
• धर्मार्थकामदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; 'giver')
• Form: समाहार/बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (giver of dharma, artha, kāma), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular)

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; 'giver')
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (mokṣaṃ dadāti iti), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• हरिवल्लभम्: beloved of Hari
• हरिवल्लभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dear to Hari), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puri-traya (Mathurā–Dvārakā–Ayodhyā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a king, proclaiming the triad of Kali-age holy cities—Mathurā, Dvārakā, Ayodhyā—as Hari-beloved and mokṣa-giving.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mathurā
• Dvārakā
• Ayodhyā
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali Yuga, devotion-centered sacred geographies become accessible paths granting both worldly well-being and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mathurā, Dvārakā, and Ayodhyā are jointly glorified as the foremost purīs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the verse establishes the salvific status of these cities.