Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सप्तकल्पस्मरो भूप मार्कण्डेयः स्मराम्यहम् । समाना वाऽधिका वापि द्वारवत्या न कापि पूः

Transliteration

saptakalpasmaro bhūpa mārkaṇḍeyaḥ smarāmyaham | samānā vā'dhikā vāpi dvāravatyā na kāpi pūḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช ข้าคือมารกันเฑยะ ฤๅษีผู้ระลึกได้ถึงเจ็ดกัลป์ ข้าขอกล่าวประกาศว่า ไม่มีนครใด ณ ที่ใดเสมอเทียมหรือยิ่งกว่าทวารวตี

Word by Word

• सप्तकल्पस्मरः: the one who remembers (events) of seven kalpas
• सप्तकल्पस्मरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सप्तकल्पानां स्मरः = सात कल्पों का स्मरण/स्मर्ता)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्मरामि: I remember
• स्मरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समाना: equal
• समाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (पूः इत्यस्य)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (particle of alternative)

• अधिका: greater
• अधिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (पूः इत्यस्य)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• द्वारवत्याः: of Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारवत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• कापि: any (at all)
• कापि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: का (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite: any)

• पूः: city
• पूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर्/पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (explicit in verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya, radiant and aged, seated in a forest hermitage, addressing a king; behind him appears a visionary tableau of Dvārakā shining on the western sea, signifying its unmatched status across kalpas.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authoritative sages validate tīrthas; Mārkaṇḍeya’s vast cosmic memory is used to affirm Dvārakā’s unsurpassed sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā, praised as incomparable among cities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a declarative mahātmya statement establishing Dvārakā’s preeminence.