Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मा काशीं मा कुरुक्षेत्रं प्रभासं मा च पुष्करम् । द्वारकां गच्छ राजर्षे पश्य कृष्णमुखं शुभम्

Transliteration

mā kāśīṃ mā kurukṣetraṃ prabhāsaṃ mā ca puṣkaram | dvārakāṃ gaccha rājarṣe paśya kṛṣṇamukhaṃ śubham

Translation

Bukan Kāśī, bukan Kurukṣetra, bukan Prabhāsa, bahkan bukan Puṣkara. Wahai resi diraja, pergilah ke Dvārakā dan tataplah wajah Kṛṣṇa yang membawa keberkatan.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (prohibitive particle, used with imperative)

• काशीम्: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (holy place)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• राजर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पश्य: see
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृष्णमुखम्: Kṛṣṇa’s face
• कृष्णमुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य मुखम्)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (कृष्णमुखम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājārṣi / nṛpa (royal sage/king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sage is urged to leave even the most celebrated tīrthas and go to sea-girt Dvārakā to behold Kṛṣṇa’s auspicious face; the city’s golden ramparts, ocean waves, conch and discus emblems, and a radiant Kṛṣṇa in royal attire dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Kurukṣetra
• Prabhāsa
• Puṣkara
• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage culminates in darśana; the verse exalts Kṛṣṇa’s presence in Dvārakā as the highest auspicious goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, explicitly placed above other renowned tīrthas for the sake of Kṛṣṇa-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana-yātrā: the instruction is to go to Dvārakā and behold Kṛṣṇa’s auspicious face.