Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पश्चिमस्य समुद्रस्य तीरमाश्रित्य वर्तते । अस्माच्च दिशि वायव्यां द्वारकाक्षेत्रमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

paścimasya samudrasya tīramāśritya vartate | asmācca diśi vāyavyāṃ dvārakākṣetramuttamam

Translation

“ที่นั่นตั้งอยู่โดยอาศัยฝั่งมหาสมุทรด้านตะวันตก; และจากที่นี่ไปทางทิศวายุ (ตะวันตกเฉียงเหนือ) มีเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์ทวารกาซึ่งประเสริฐยิ่ง”

Word by Word

• पश्चिमस्य: of the western
• पश्चिमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• समुद्रस्य: of the ocean
• समुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• तीरम्: shore, bank
• तीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having resorted to/after taking refuge’

• वर्तते: exists, is situated
• वर्तते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्

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

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• वायव्याम्: in the north-western
• वायव्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (दिशि इति)

• द्वारकाक्षेत्रम्: the Dvārakā sacred region
• द्वारकाक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्वारकायाः क्षेत्रम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम् इति)

Speaker

Divyavāṇī (Divine Voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama, Nārada, and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic western coastline with waves and rocky shore; a luminous indication of the ‘uttama Dvārakā-kṣetra’ toward the north-west, perhaps shown as a distant temple spire or fortified city silhouette beyond dunes.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Western Sea (Samudra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is anchored in sacred geography: the Purāṇa maps devotion onto real directions and landscapes to guide seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā-kṣetra, described as the supreme sacred region on the western seacoast.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as a directional/locational instruction for pilgrimage.