Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ये ध्यायंति मनोवृत्त्या गमनं द्वारकां प्रति । तेषां विलीयते पापं पूर्वजन्मायुतैः कृतम्

Transliteration

ye dhyāyaṃti manovṛttyā gamanaṃ dvārakāṃ prati | teṣāṃ vilīyate pāpaṃ pūrvajanmāyutaiḥ kṛtam

Translation

മനോവൃത്തിയാൽ ദ്വാരകയിലേക്കുള്ള യാത്രയെ മാത്രം ധ്യാനിക്കുന്നവർക്കും, അനേകം മുൻജന്മങ്ങളിൽ ചെയ്ത പാപം ലയിച്ചുപോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• ध्यायन्ति: meditate, contemplate
• ध्यायन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मनोवृत्त्या: by mental intention/with the mind’s activity
• मनोवृत्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः वृत्तिः)

• गमनम्: going, journey
• गमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गमन (प्रातिपदिक; ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ल्युट्-कृदन्त (action noun)

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

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Gati/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition): ‘towards’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विलीयते: is dissolved, disappears
• विलीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ली (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: ‘dissolves/is destroyed’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वजन्मायुतैः: by tens of thousands of former births
• पूर्वजन्मायुतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वेषु जन्मसु अयुतानि) ‘by tens of thousands of former births’

• कृतम्: committed, done
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि: ‘done/committed’ (पापस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation visualizes a luminous path leading to Dvārakā; dark karmic smoke labeled ‘pāpa’ dissolves into light as the mind turns toward the city.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inward orientation toward a sacred place—especially Dvārakā—is itself purifying and destroys long-standing karmic impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, revered as Kṛṣṇa’s city and a preeminent Vaiṣṇava tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative recollection/intent (dhyāna, manovṛtti) of going to Dvārakā is highlighted.