Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पौरजानपदैर्लोकैर्वैष्णवैः सर्वतो वृतम् । पश्यन्तं हंसमिथुनैः सरः सारसशोभितम्

Transliteration

paurajānapadairlokairvaiṣṇavaiḥ sarvato vṛtam | paśyantaṃ haṃsamithunaiḥ saraḥ sārasaśobhitam

Translation

நகரமும் கிராமமும் சேர்ந்த வைஷ்ணவ மக்கள் அவரைச் சுற்றி நின்றனர்; அவர் அன்னப் பறவைகளின் ஜோடிகளாலும் சாரஸப் பறவைகளாலும் அழகுபெற்ற ஏரியை நோக்கிக் கொண்டிருந்தார்।

Word by Word

• पौर: by/with the citizens
• पौर: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjectival)

• जानपदैः: by/with the countryfolk
• जानपदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• लोकैः: by/with people
• लोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• वैष्णवैः: by/with Vaiṣṇavas
• वैष्णवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable; adverb)

• वृतम्: surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (past passive participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• पश्यन्तम्: seeing / looking at
• पश्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (present active participle; Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• हंसमिथुनैः: by pairs of swans
• हंसमिथुनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हंसानां मिथुनानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन (Genitive-tatpurusha; Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• सरः: the lake
• सरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• सारसशोभितम्: adorned by cranes
• सारसशोभितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभित (शुभ्/शोभ् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (सारसैः शोभितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Instrumental-tatpurusha; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

Speaker

Prahlāda (narrator, as indicated in the passage context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: saras (lake)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa surrounded by Vaiṣṇava townspeople and villagers, pausing to gaze at a beautiful lake where pairs of swans glide and cranes stand—an image of sacred serenity and communal devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Vaiṣṇavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is known by devotional community and sacred beauty—both become aids to remembrance and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its sacred environs, portrayed with auspicious natural imagery (lake, swans, cranes).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the devotional gathering and the sanctified setting.