Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यावत्पदानि कृष्णस्य मार्गे गच्छति मानवः । पदेपदेऽश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य लभते फलम्

Transliteration

yāvatpadāni kṛṣṇasya mārge gacchati mānavaḥ | padepade'śvamedhasya yajñasya labhate phalam

Translation

ಕೃಷ್ಣನ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಎಷ್ಟು ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾನೋ, ಪ್ರತಿಹೆಜ್ಜೆಯಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಅಶ್ವಮೇಧ ಯಜ್ಞಫಲ ದೊರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• यावत्: as many as / as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (as long as / as many as)

• पदानि: steps
• पदानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गच्छति: goes/walks
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• पदे: in (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पदे: in (every) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

• अश्वमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य मेधः)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walking a sandy coastal road toward Dvārakā, each footprint glowing with sacrificial fire-symbols, while a distant temple spire and the sea shimmer; subtle presence of Kṛṣṇa’s guidance on the path.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Aśvamedha-yajña
• Dvārakā pilgrimage (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage undertaken for Kṛṣṇa is itself a yajña-like act; devotional effort is equated with the highest Vedic sacrificial merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and the pilgrimage route undertaken for Kṛṣṇa’s darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No separate ritual is prescribed; the act of walking the pilgrimage path is itself praised as merit-producing.