Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

योऽर्चयेत्केतकीपत्रैः कृष्णं कलिमलापहम् । पत्रेपत्रेऽश्वमेधस्यफलं यच्छति भूभुज

Transliteration

yo'rcayetketakīpatraiḥ kṛṣṇaṃ kalimalāpaham | patrepatre'śvamedhasyaphalaṃ yacchati bhūbhuja

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂഭുജ! കേതകീപത്രങ്ങളാൽ കലിമലാപഹനായ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനെ അർച്ചിക്കുന്നവൻ, ഓരോ ഇല അർപ്പണത്തിലും അശ്വമേധയാഗഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केतकीपत्रैः: with ketakī leaves
• केतकीपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketakī (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (केतक्याः पत्राणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कलिमलापहम्: remover of Kali’s impurity
• कलिमलापहम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक) + mala (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कलिमलम् अपहन्ति इति/कलिमलस्य अपहः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with कृष्णम्)

• पत्रे: in/with each leaf
• पत्रे: Adhikarana (Condition/locative distributive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive)

• पत्रे: in/with every leaf
• पत्रे: Adhikarana (Condition/locative distributive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (each and every)

• अश्वमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूभुज: O king (earth-enjoyer)
• भूभुज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भूमिं भुङ्क्ते इति); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Dvārakā Māhātmya narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra/bhūbhuj)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Dvārakā offers ketakī leaves one by one at Kṛṣṇa’s shrine; the king listens as the narrator proclaims each leaf equal to an Aśvamedha’s fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kali-yuga
• Ketakī
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship can surpass or equal grand Vedic rites, especially in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in the Dvārakā Māhātmya, presenting Dvārakā’s devotional culture as supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Kṛṣṇa by offering ketakī leaves; each leaf is praised as yielding Aśvamedha-like merit.