Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

द्वारका वसते यत्र तत्र विष्णुः सनातनः । तत्र तीर्थानि सर्वाणि सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । यज्ञा वेदाश्च ऋषयस्त्रैलोक्यं सचरा चरम्

Transliteration

dvārakā vasate yatra tatra viṣṇuḥ sanātanaḥ | tatra tīrthāni sarvāṇi sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | yajñā vedāśca ṛṣayastrailokyaṃ sacarā caram

Translation

ณ ที่ใดทวารกาดำรงอยู่ ณ ที่นั้นพระวิษณุผู้เป็นนิรันดร์สถิตอยู่ ที่นั่นมีทีรถะศักดิ์สิทธิ์ทั้งปวง มีเหล่าเทวะทั้งหลายพร้อมพระอินทร์ มีพิธียัญ วีทะ และฤๅษีทั้งหลาย—แท้จริงคือไตรโลกทั้งหมด ทั้งที่เคลื่อนไหวและไม่เคลื่อนไหว

Word by Word

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वसते: dwells/abides
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: there)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying विष्णुः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थानि)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying देवाः)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सवासवाः: together with Vāsava (Indra)/including Indra
• सवासवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ/सह) + वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (वासवैः सह ये = including Indra/with the Vasus/with Vāsava)

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः)

• सचरा: with the moving (beings)
• सचरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ/सह) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (चरैः सह = with moving beings)

• चरम्: and the non-moving/immobile
• चरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (paired with सचरा; often as fixed phrase सचराचरम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple-like addressee; broader audience of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Dvārakā as a cosmic mandala: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa enthroned at the center; around him appear miniature icons of all devas, ṛṣis chanting Veda, sacrificial fires, and symbolic representations of the three worlds—celestial, terrestrial, and nether—encircling the sea-girt city.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Vedas
• Ṛṣis
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā is portrayed as a living sacred presence: where Dvārakā is, Viṣṇu and the totality of dharma (tīrthas, gods, Veda, yajña) are present.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā-kṣetra (Dvārakā), described as encompassing the merit of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes Dvārakā’s all-encompassing sanctity as the ground for pilgrimage and worship.