Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

पयोधिः कौशिकी तद्वत्तथा गोदावरी शुभा । देवखातं गया चैव तथा द्वारावती शुभा

Transliteration

payodhiḥ kauśikī tadvattathā godāvarī śubhā | devakhātaṃ gayā caiva tathā dvārāvatī śubhā

Translation

ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ, ਕੌਸ਼ਿਕੀ, ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਗੋਦਾਵਰੀ; ਦੇਵਖਾਤ, ਗਯਾ, ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਦ੍ਵਾਰਾਵਤੀ ਭੀ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• पयोधिः: the ocean
• पयोधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समुद्र-नाम

• कौशिकी: Kauśikī (river)
• कौशिकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुल्यतार्थक (adverb: ‘in the same way/likewise’)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (also)

• गोदावरी: Godāvarī (river)
• गोदावरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies गोदावरी)

• देवखातम्: Devakhāta (holy place)
• देवखातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + खात (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: देवानां खातम् / देवैः खातम् (देवखात-तीर्थ-नाम)

• गया: Gayā
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तीर्थ-नाम

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (also)

• द्वारावती: Dvārāvatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगर-नाम

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies द्वारावती)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate context; dialogue with Pārvatī begins shortly after)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Payodhi; Kauśikī; Godāvarī; Devakhāta; Gayā; Dvārāvatī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping coastal pilgrimage panorama: the ocean with foaming waves, a river goddess Kauśikī, the broad Godāvarī with ghats, a forested Devakhāta tīrtha, Gayā with piṇḍa offerings, and Dvārāvatī’s golden city with Kṛṣṇa’s temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Payodhi (Ocean)
• Kauśikī
• Godāvarī
• Devakhāta
• Gayā
• Dvārāvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa links diverse sacred waters and cities into a single dharmic map, encouraging pilgrimage-minded reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse names multiple famed tīrthas (Gayā, Dvārāvatī) while the chapter’s central glorification culminates in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it functions as a catalog of sanctified sites.