Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । एवं ते कौरवाः सर्वे पांडोः पुत्राश्च शालिनः । तस्मात्स्थानात्ततो जग्मुर्यत्र द्वारवती पुरी

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | evaṃ te kauravāḥ sarve pāṃḍoḥ putrāśca śālinaḥ | tasmātsthānāttato jagmuryatra dvāravatī purī

Translation

苏多（Sūta）曰：如是，诸俱卢族人连同般度（Pāṇḍu）那光辉的诸子，便从彼处启程，前往都城堕罗伐底（Dvāravatī）所在之地。

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (Nominative plural: “they”)

• कौरवाः: the Kauravas
• कौरवाः: Karta (Apposition to ते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पाण्डोः: of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• शालिनः: prosperous/noble
• शालिनः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (possessing/characterized by prosperity/virtue)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (Ablative singular: “from that”)

• स्थानात्: place
• स्थानात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/कालवाचक (then/thereafter)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Relative location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: “where”)

• द्वारवती: Dvāravatī
• द्वारवती: Karta (Subject of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; द्वारवती-विशेष्य (appositional)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A departure scene: Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas in orderly procession leaving a sacred spot; in the distance rises the fortified, ocean-adjacent city of Dvāravatī with gateways, flags, and temples; Sūta’s narration frames the panorama.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kauravas
• sons of Pāṇḍu (Pāṇḍavas)
• Dvāravatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma is mapped through movement—after completing rites at one kṣetra, the righteous proceed to another sacred center.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī (Dvārakā) is explicitly named as the destination, a major sacred city in Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it transitions the narrative to the pilgrimage destination, Dvāravatī.