Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दूराद्धेममयं दृष्ट्वा कलशं ध्वजसंयुतम् । वाहनं संपरित्यज्य लुठते धरणीं गतः

Transliteration

dūrāddhemamayaṃ dṛṣṭvā kalaśaṃ dhvajasaṃyutam | vāhanaṃ saṃparityajya luṭhate dharaṇīṃ gataḥ

Translation

దూరమున ధ్వజసహితమైన స్వర్ణ కలశశిఖరాన్ని చూచి, వాహనాన్ని విడిచి, నేలపై దిగివచ్చి భక్తితో భూమిపై దొర్లుచున్నాడు।

Word by Word

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: अपादान/देश (Source/distance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival adverb)

• हेममयम्: made of gold
• हेममयम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); तद्धितान्त विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• कलशम्: a finial/pot (kalasha)
• कलशम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ध्वजसंयुतम्: adorned with a flag
• ध्वजसंयुतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त, सम्+√युज् धातु)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); ‘ध्वजेन संयुतम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः, कृदन्त-विशेषणम्

• वाहनम्: vehicle
• वाहनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• संपरित्यज्य: having abandoned
• संपरित्यज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + परि + √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• लुठते: rolls about, wallows
• लुठते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लुठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• धरणीम्: the ground, earth
• धरणीम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• गतः: having gone, having reached (i.e., fallen to)
• गतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त, √गम् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhagavat-ketu (Lord’s banner) / Dvārakā-dhvaja-darśana

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a distance the pilgrim sees a gleaming golden finial atop the temple spire, a flag fluttering strongly; he leaps down from his cart/animal, falls to the earth, and rolls forward in ecstatic devotion as companions watch in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Temple flag (dhvaja)
• Kalaśa (temple finial)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a sacred shrine with humility and embodied devotion is praised as an expression of bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its temple-palace marks (kalaśa and dhvaja) visible from afar.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional practice is implied: dismounting and rolling/prostrating on the ground upon sighting the shrine’s signs.