Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मनसा चिन्तयेद्यो वै कलौ द्वारवतीं पुरीम् । कपिलाऽयुतपुण्यं च लभते हेलया नरः

Transliteration

manasā cintayedyo vai kalau dvāravatīṃ purīm | kapilā'yutapuṇyaṃ ca labhate helayā naraḥ

Translation

കലിയുഗത്തിൽ മനസ്സാൽ ദ്വാരവതീ പുരി (ദ്വാരക)യെ ധ്യാനിക്കുന്നവൻ, പ്രയാസമില്ലാതെ—ഹേലയായി—പതിനായിരം കപിലാ പശുക്കൾ ദാനം ചെയ്തതിനു തുല്യമായ പുണ്യം നേടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should think/meditate
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvaravati
• द्वारवतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नगर-नाम

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कपिलायुतपुण्यम्: merit equal to ten-thousand cows
• कपिलायुतपुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिलायुतपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) < कपिला + अयुत + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कपिलानाम् अयुतस्य पुण्यम् / कपिलायुत-संबद्धं पुण्यम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हेलया: casually/with ease
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (manuṣyādhipa implied in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation, eyes half-closed, visualizing the ocean-ringed city of Dvārakā; in the vision appear rows of Kapilā cows as symbolic merit, while Kṛṣṇa’s presence sanctifies the mind.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Kali-yuga
• Kapilā (cow-gift merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mental remembrance of a supremely sacred tīrtha like Dvārakā bears immense merit in Kali-yuga, showing the accessibility of dharma through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā, the sacred city associated with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No physical rite is prescribed; the act is smaraṇa—contemplative remembrance—said to equal the merit of Kapilā cow-gifts.