Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

गंगासागरजं पुण्यं गंगाद्वारभवं तथा । कलौ द्वारवतीं गत्वा प्राप्नोति मनुजाधिप

Transliteration

gaṃgāsāgarajaṃ puṇyaṃ gaṃgādvārabhavaṃ tathā | kalau dvāravatīṃ gatvā prāpnoti manujādhipa

Translation

हे मनुजाधिप! कलियुगात द्वारवती (द्वारका) येथे गेल्यास मनुष्याला गंगासागराचे तसेच गंगाद्वार (हरिद्वार)चेही पुण्य प्राप्त होते।

Word by Word

• गङ्गासागरजम्: born of/at Gangasagara
• गङ्गासागरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गासागरज (प्रातिपदिक) < गङ्गासागर + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (गङ्गासागरात् जातम्) विशेषण

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• गङ्गाद्वारभवम्: arising at Gangadvara
• गङ्गाद्वारभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गाद्वारभव (प्रातिपदिक) < गङ्गाद्वार + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (गङ्गाद्वारात् भवम्) विशेषण

• तथा: likewise/and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थ

• 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

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having gone)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मनुजाधिप: O lord of men
• मनुजाधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुजाधिप (प्रातिपदिक) < मनुज + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मनुजानाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Manuṣyādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred panorama: Dvārakā on the western sea, Gaṅgā-sāgara at the ocean-mouth, and Haridvāra at the Himalayan gateway—three tīrthas visually linked by a stream of light signifying shared merit, with a pilgrim walking toward Dvārakā.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Kali-yuga
• Gaṅgā-sāgara
• Gaṅgā-dvāra (Haridvāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā is proclaimed a supreme tīrtha whose pilgrimage-fruit equals famed Gaṅgā tīrthas, emphasizing sacred geography as a path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā, with explicit comparison to Gaṅgā-sāgara and Gaṅgā-dvāra (Haridvāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is tīrtha-yātrā—going to Dvārakā; specific acts like snāna or dāna are not detailed in this verse.