Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

द्वारके मथुरां पश्य प्रणतां तव पादयोः । अयोध्याऽवंतिकामायास्ता नमंति पदांबुजम्

Transliteration

dvārake mathurāṃ paśya praṇatāṃ tava pādayoḥ | ayodhyā'vaṃtikāmāyāstā namaṃti padāṃbujam

Translation

โอ้ทวารกา จงดูมถุรา—นอบน้อมแทบพระบาทของพระองค์ อโยธยาและอวันติกา (อุชเชนี) ก็กราบลงต่อบาทบัวของพระองค์เช่นกัน

Word by Word

• द्वारके: O Dvārakā
• द्वारके: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative address)

• मथुराम्: Mathurā
• मथुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्य: see
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रणताम्: bowed down
• प्रणताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मथुराम्)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पादयोः: of (your) two feet
• पादयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन (also locative dual possible by form); अत्र षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः

• अयोध्या: Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अवन्तिकाम्: Avantikā (Ujjayinī)
• अवन्तिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आयास्ता: having come
• आयास्ता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/वाक्ये विधेय-भावः (having come)

• नमन्ति: bow
• नमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पदाम्बुजम्: the lotus-feet
• पदाम्बुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य अम्बुजम् = foot-lotus)

Speaker

Narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya (contextual voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (as receiving homage of Mathurā, Ayodhyā, Avantikā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four city-deities appear: Mathurā as a youthful cowherd-city goddess with peacock-feather motifs; Ayodhyā as regal solar-lineage queen; Avantikā as Śaiva city goddess with Mahākāla symbols; all kneel toward Dvārakā’s radiant lotus-feet at the seashore, forming a mandala of India’s sacred capitals.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Mathurā
• Ayodhyā
• Avantikā (Ujjayinī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic māhātmya exalts Dvārakā by showing other renowned sacred cities honoring it, affirming Dvārakā’s paramount sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, elevated above even Mathurā, Ayodhyā, and Avantikā within this praise-context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the act emphasized is praṇāma (prostration) to the sacred feet.