Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

पुत्रैः पौत्रैस्तथा मित्रैर्बांधवैरपरैरपि । द्वारकाया विनिष्क्रम्य सांबोऽपि द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

putraiḥ pautraistathā mitrairbāṃdhavairaparairapi | dvārakāyā viniṣkramya sāṃbo'pi dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ! ദ്വാരകയിൽ നിന്നു പുറപ്പെട്ടു സാമ്ബനും പുത്രന്മാർ, പൗത്രന്മാർ, സുഹൃത്തുകൾ, മറ്റ് ബന്ധുക്കൾ എന്നിവരോടുകൂടെ യാത്രയായി।

Word by Word

• पुत्रैः: with sons
• पुत्रैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पौत्रैः: with grandsons
• पौत्रैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वय-वाचक (also, likewise)

• मित्रैः: with friends
• मित्रैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः), तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बान्धवैः: with relatives
• बान्धवैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपरैः: other
• अपरैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘बान्धवैः’ इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Avyaya (Emphasis/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• द्वारकायाः: from Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचन (अपादानार्थे)

• विनिष्क्रम्य: having departed
• विनिष्क्रम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निस्-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; अर्थे—‘विनिष्क्रम्य’ (having gone out)

• साम्बः: Sāmba
• साम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (Emphasis/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (हे द्विजसत्तमाः) ; समासः—कर्मधारयः (द्विजाः एव सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a Brāhmaṇa listener (dvijasattama; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (departure point)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (addressed brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāmba departs from sea-girt Dvārakā with sons, grandsons, friends, and kinsmen—procession-like, carrying travel gear and offerings, moving toward a coastal tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Dvārakā
• sons
• grandsons
• friends
• kinsmen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred journeys are strengthened by saṅga (supportive company); dharma is sustained through community and kinship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the named sacred geography point; the tīrtha-destination is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the departure and companions.