Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

भक्त्या ते च पदांभोजं शिरस्याधाय वर्तते । कुरुक्षेत्रं महापुण्यं नमति त्वामहर्निशम्

Transliteration

bhaktyā te ca padāṃbhojaṃ śirasyādhāya vartate | kurukṣetraṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ namati tvāmaharniśam

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ അത് നിങ്ങളുടെ പാദപദ്മങ്ങളെ ശിരസ്സിൽ ധരിച്ചു നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. മഹാപുണ്യമായ കുരുക്ഷേത്രം പകലും രാത്രിയും നിങ്ങളെ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पदाम्भोजम्: lotus-feet
• पदाम्भोजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + अम्भोज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ('पदस्य अम्भोजम्')

• शिरसि: on (the) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• आधाय: having placed
• आधाय: Purvakala (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वर्तते: remains/abides, proceeds
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ('कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्')

• महापुण्यम्: greatly holy
• महापुण्यम्: Karta-anvaya (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; विशेषण

• नमति: bows
• नमति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहर्निशम्: day and night, constantly
• अहर्निशम्: Kala-adhikarana (time adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहन् + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya (contextual voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra (honoring Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kurukṣetra appears as a crowned personified kṣetra (a regal male figure or a sacred landscape spirit) holding a small lotus-foot emblem upon the head, performing endless namaskāra; background hints at battlefield plains transformed into a serene tīrtha with yajña fires and pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the most famed dharma-kṣetra is shown as revering Dvārakā, teaching that devotion (bhakti) crowns sacredness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, by depicting Kurukṣetra as continually bowing to it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; continual reverence (day-and-night namaskāra) is the devotional ideal presented.