Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

द्वारकासम्भवा भूप तुलसी यस्य मंदिरे । तस्य वैवस्वतो नित्यं बिभेति सह किंकरैः

Transliteration

dvārakāsambhavā bhūpa tulasī yasya maṃdire | tasya vaivasvato nityaṃ bibheti saha kiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

ಓ ಭೂಪ, ಯಾರ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವಾರಕಾಸಂಭವವಾದ ತುಳಸಿ ವಿರಾಜಿಸುತ್ತದೋ, ಅವನನ್ನು ವೈವಸ್ವತ ಯಮನು ತನ್ನ ಕಿಂಕರರೊಡನೆ ನಿತ್ಯವೂ ಭಯಪಡುವನು।

Word by Word

• dvārakāsambhavā: born in/coming from Dvārakā
• dvārakāsambhavā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvārakā-sambhavā (प्रातिपदिक; द्वारका + सम्भवा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• bhūpa: O king
• bhūpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• tulasī: Tulasī (holy basil)
• tulasī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• maṃdire: in (his) temple/house
• maṃdire: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃdira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• vaivasvataḥ: Vaivasvata (Yama)
• vaivasvataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaivasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb ‘always/constantly’)

• bibheti: fears
• bibheti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like indeclinable ‘with’)

• kiṃkaraiḥ: with (his) attendants/servants
• kiṃkaraiḥ: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya context; addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a simple devotional home shrine, a thriving tulasī plant in a raised altar; a devotee offers water and lamps; in the background, Yama with attendants appears at a distance, hesitant and shadowed, unable to approach the sanctified threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Tulasī
• Yama (Vaivasvata)
• Yamadūtas (kiṃkarāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tulasī devotion is portrayed as a powerful spiritual safeguard, placing the devotee under divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified as the sacred source of Tulasī whose presence sanctifies a household.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keeping and honoring Tulasī—especially associated with Dvārakā—in one’s home shrine is recommended.