Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

श्रीराम उवाच । एतदाश्चर्यमतुलं किमादि द्वारकाभवत् । कियत्कालसमुत्पन्ना वसिष्ठेदं वदस्व मे

Transliteration

śrīrāma uvāca | etadāścaryamatulaṃ kimādi dvārakābhavat | kiyatkālasamutpannā vasiṣṭhedaṃ vadasva me

Translation

ശ്രീരാമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഈ അതുല്യ അത്ഭുതം! ദ്വാരക എങ്ങനെ, ഏതു ആദിയിൽ നിന്ന് ആരംഭിച്ചു? എത്ര കാലത്തിനു ശേഷം അത് ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു? ഹേ വസിഷ്ഠാ, ഇത് എനിക്കു പറയുക.

Word by Word

• श्रीरामः: Śrī Rāma
• श्रीरामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Predicate/Complement (पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘एतत्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य-भावेन

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘आश्चर्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदि: origin, beginning
• आदि: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); ‘किम्’ इत्यस्य सह (किम्-आदि = what as beginning/what origin)

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभवत्: came to be, happened
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कियत्: how much? how long?
• कियत्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘समुत्पन्ना’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (कियत्-काल-समुत्पन्ना = arisen after how much time)

• कालसमुत्पन्ना: arisen after (a certain) time
• कालसमुत्पन्ना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त; सम्+उत्√पद्/√पत्/√पद्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘द्वारका’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वसिष्ठ: O Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this (matter)
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वदस्व: tell, speak
• वदस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular; enclitic)

Speaker

Śrī Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, in a contemplative pause during pilgrimage, asks about the wondrous beginning of Dvārakā; the imagined city glimmers in the mind—gates, sea, and divine architecture—while the sage listens.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Dvārakā
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for sacred places includes inquiry into their divine origin; knowing a tīrtha’s beginnings deepens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is introduced as a wondrous sacred city within the pilgrimage discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is a question initiating a māhātmya-style explanation.