Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच । द्वारकायाश्च माहात्म्यं कथयस्व प्रसादतः । चतुर्युगं यथाभागैर्धर्मवृद्धिं जनो लभेत्

Transliteration

indra uvāca | dvārakāyāśca māhātmyaṃ kathayasva prasādataḥ | caturyugaṃ yathābhāgairdharmavṛddhiṃ jano labhet

Translation

Indra thưa: Xin nhờ ân huệ của ngài, hãy kể về đại oai đức của Dvārakā, và giảng rõ bốn yuga theo đúng phần kỳ, để người đời được tăng trưởng dharma.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथयस्व: tell, narrate
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रसादतः: by (your) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/through'), हेतौ/निमित्ते (cause/means)

• चतुर्युगम्: the four-yuga cycle
• चतुर्युगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: manner)

• भागैः: by parts, by divisions
• भागैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धर्मवृद्धिम्: increase of dharma
• धर्मवृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनः: a person, people (one)
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bṛhaspati

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, hands folded, requests Bṛhaspati to narrate Dvārakā’s greatness and the divisions of the four yugas; behind them, a cosmic wheel of time (kāla-cakra) is faintly depicted, linking place and time.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dvārakā
• Caturyuga (four yugas)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning sacred geography and yuga-dharma from a qualified teacher is presented as a means to strengthen righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, explicitly requested for its māhātmya (sacred greatness).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes śravaṇa (hearing) and instruction for dharma-vṛddhi.