Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

द्वारकायास्तु यात्रायां को विधिः संप्रकीर्तितः । नियमः कोऽत्र कर्त्तव्यो वर्जनीयं च किं मुने

Transliteration

dvārakāyāstu yātrāyāṃ ko vidhiḥ saṃprakīrtitaḥ | niyamaḥ ko'tra karttavyo varjanīyaṃ ca kiṃ mune

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ! ദ്വാരകാ യാത്രയ്ക്ക് ഏതു വിധിയാണ് പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്? അവിടെ ഏതു നിയമം പാലിക്കണം, എന്താണ് വർജ്ജിക്കേണ്ടത്?

Word by Word

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय — contrastive particle

• यात्रायाम्: in the pilgrimage
• यात्रायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• कः: what? which?
• कः: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; प्रश्नवाचक

• विधिः: rule, procedure
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संप्रकीर्तितः: has been proclaimed
• संप्रकीर्तितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (विधिः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नियमः: restriction, observance
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कः: what? which?
• कः: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; प्रश्नवाचक

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — locative adverb

• कर्तव्यः: to be done, obligatory
• कर्तव्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Gerundive (to be done), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (नियमः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• वर्जनीयम्: to be avoided
• वर्जनीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृज्/वर्ज् (धातु) + अनीयर् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य कृदन्त (अनीयर्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Gerundive (to be avoided), Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

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

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Unspecified questioner (listener) addressing Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful question posed to a sage: the pilgrim asks for the exact procedure, disciplines, and avoidances for the Dvārakā pilgrimage; the setting suggests a roadside hermitage or camp before entering the sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not mere travel; it requires right conduct—knowing what to do and what to avoid.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred kṣetra associated with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for the yātrā-vidhi (procedure), niyama (disciplines), and varjana (avoidances), preparing for a detailed injunction list.