Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा चतुर्वक्त्रो विरराम ततः परम् । वासुदेवोऽपि हृष्टात्मा ययौ द्वारवतीं पुरीम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā caturvaktro virarāma tataḥ param | vāsudevo'pi hṛṣṭātmā yayau dvāravatīṃ purīm

Translation

ಇಂತೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಚತುರ್ಮುಖ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನು ನಂತರ ಮೌನನಾದನು. ವಾಸುದೇವನೂ ಹರ್ಷಿತಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ದ್ವಾರವತೀ ನಗರಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರಳಿದನು।

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) → uktvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• catur-vaktraḥ: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• catur-vaktraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one who has four faces)

• virarāma: ceased, stopped
• virarāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (धातु) उपसर्ग: vi-
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रभव (ablatival adverb)

• param: afterwards, further
• param: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• vāsudevaḥ: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• vāsudevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• hṛṣṭa-ātmā: joyful-hearted
• hṛṣṭa-ātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one whose self is delighted) विशेषण (of vāsudevaḥ)

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dvāravatīm: to Dvāravatī
• dvāravatīm: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāravatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गन्तव्य-देश (object of motion)

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (to dvāravatīm)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā concludes his instruction; Vāsudeva, joyful, departs toward the sea-girt city of Dvāravatī—procession imagery with chariot, banners, and coastal horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine instructions culminate in purposeful action—blessings are to be carried into lived dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) is explicitly mentioned as Vāsudeva’s destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative closure and transition.