Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सर्वक्षेत्रोत्तमा या च सर्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमा । स्वर्गादप्यधिका भूमौ द्वारकेयं प्रकाशते

Transliteration

sarvakṣetrottamā yā ca sarvatīrthottamottamā | svargādapyadhikā bhūmau dvārakeyaṃ prakāśate

Translation

ଯେ ସମସ୍ତ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ ତୀର୍ଥମଧ୍ୟରେ ପରମ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ—ସେଇ ଦ୍ୱାରକା ପୃଥିବୀରେ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରି ପ୍ରକାଶିତ।

Word by Word

• sarva-kṣetra-uttamā: best among all sacred places
• sarva-kṣetra-uttamā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां क्षेत्राणां उत्तमा)

• yā: which (she who)
• yā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• sarva-tīrtha-uttama-uttamā: best even among the best of all tīrthas
• sarva-tīrtha-uttama-uttamā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक) + uttamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां तीर्थानां उत्तमानाम् अपि उत्तमा)

• svargāt: than heaven / from heaven
• svargāt: Apadana (Source/Comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• adhikā: greater / superior
• adhikā: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण (comparative sense)

• bhūmau: on earth
• bhūmau: Adhikara (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (apposition)

• prakāśate: shines forth / is manifest
• prakāśate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kāś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; प्र-उपसर्ग

Speaker

Devas (continuing praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dvārakā shines on earth with a brilliance outshining celestial realms; above, a faint depiction of svarga is shown as secondary, while the city below radiates as the true ‘higher-than-heaven’ sanctuary; devas gesture in affirmation.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Svarga (heaven)
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earthly sacred geography can exceed celestial realms because it grants direct access to dharma, devotion, and liberation-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is praised as the supreme kṣetra and tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the verse functions as a māhātmya-assertion of Dvārakā’s unrivaled sanctity.