Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

धन्या वै पूर्वजास्तेषां वंशजाः कृष्णदर्शनं । सोत्सवा द्वारकां यांति पश्यंति च हरिप्रियाम्

Transliteration

dhanyā vai pūrvajāsteṣāṃ vaṃśajāḥ kṛṣṇadarśanaṃ | sotsavā dvārakāṃ yāṃti paśyaṃti ca haripriyām

Translation

ആരുടെ വംശജർക്ക് ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണദർശനം ലഭിക്കുന്നുവോ, അവരുടെ പൂർവ്വികർ സത്യമായും ധന്യരാണ്. അവർ ഉത്സവോന്മേഷത്തോടെ ദ്വാരകയിലേക്കു പോയി ഹരിപ്രിയ നഗരിയെ ദർശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धन्याः: blessed/fortunate
• धन्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (प्रशंसार्थ)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग (pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• वंशजाः: descendants
• वंशजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंशज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• कृष्णदर्शनम्: the sight of Krishna
• कृष्णदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य दर्शनम्)

• सोत्सवाः: with festivities
• सोत्सवाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव (उत्सवेन सह) विशेषण

• द्वारकाम्: to Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हरिप्रियाम्: Hari's beloved (Dvārakā)
• हरिप्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरेः प्रिया)

Speaker

Nārada (contextual; concluding praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A joyous procession of pilgrims approaches sea-girt Dvārakā with flags and lamps; in the foreground a devotee offers salutations, while faint ancestral figures appear blessed behind him, signifying pitṛ-prasāda through Kṛṣṇa-darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Hari
• Dvārakā
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana uplift not only the pilgrim but are portrayed as bringing honor and blessing to one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, called ‘Hari-priyā’—the beloved city of Hari.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is Dvārakā-yātrā for Kṛṣṇa-darśana, undertaken in a spirit of utsava (devotional celebration).