Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

न शक्नोति यदा गंतुं द्वारकां चैव मानवः । माहात्म्यं पठनीयं तु द्वारकासंभवं गृहे

Transliteration

na śaknoti yadā gaṃtuṃ dvārakāṃ caiva mānavaḥ | māhātmyaṃ paṭhanīyaṃ tu dvārakāsaṃbhavaṃ gṛhe

Translation

जब मनुष्य द्वारका जाने में असमर्थ हो, तब द्वारका-सम्बन्धी माहात्म्य का पाठ घर पर अवश्य करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेध (negation particle)

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘is able’

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — कालवाचक (temporal conjunction: when)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) — ‘to go’

• द्वारकाम्: to Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• मानवः: a person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• माहात्म्यम्: the sacred greatness (account)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular

• पठनीयम्: should be read
• पठनीयम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + अनीयर् (कृदन्त)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘to be read/should be read’ (qualifying माहात्म्यम्)

• तु: then / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — विरोध/विशेष (particle: but/indeed)

• द्वारकासंभवम्: originating from/connected with Dvārakā
• द्वारकासंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वारका + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying माहात्म्यम्); समासः तत्पुरुष (द्वारकायाः संभवम्)

• गृहे: at home / in one’s house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder in a clean home shrine reads the Dvārakā-māhātmya from a palm-leaf manuscript; a small lamp burns, and in the background a visionary glimpse of Dvārakā appears like a sacred mirage.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural remembrance and recitation can connect one to a tīrtha’s grace even without physical travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, whose Māhātmya is recommended for home recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māhātmya-pāṭha—reading/reciting the Dvārakā Māhātmya at home.