Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वासुकिर्नागराजश्च कूर्मपृष्ठश्च दानवः । सनकश्च ऋषिश्रेष्ठो गोलको राक्षसस्तथा

Transliteration

vāsukirnāgarājaśca kūrmapṛṣṭhaśca dānavaḥ | sanakaśca ṛṣiśreṣṭho golako rākṣasastathā

Translation

婆苏吉（Vāsuki），诸那伽之王；龟背者库尔玛普利什塔（Kūrmapṛṣṭha），为达那婆（Dānava）；萨那迦（Sanaka），诸仙中最胜；以及戈罗迦（Golaka），罗刹（Rākṣasa）——这些也都驻于彼处，作为应受敬礼的圣尊临在。

Word by Word

• वासुकिः: Vāsuki (a name)
• वासुकिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक

• नागराजः: Nāgarāja (king of nāgas)
• नागराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागानाम् राजा = king of serpents)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• कूर्मपृष्ठः: Kūrmapṛṣṭha (tortoise-backed; a name)
• कूर्मपृष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य पृष्ठम्/कूर्म-पृष्ठः; proper name/epithet)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• दानवः: demon (Dānava)
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सनकः: Sanaka (a sage-name)
• सनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• ऋषिश्रेष्ठः: best of sages
• ऋषिश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां श्रेष्ठः = best of sages)

• गोलकः: Golaka (a name)
• गोलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राक्षसः: demon (Rākṣasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb/particle: 'thus/also')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic assembly near Dvārakā: Vāsuki as jeweled serpent-king, Kūrmapṛṣṭha as a powerful daitya with tortoise-back motif, Sanaka as serene child-sage, and Golaka as a subdued rākṣasa guardian—each stationed at their appointed place.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsuki
• Kūrmapṛṣṭha
• Sanaka
• Golaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are portrayed as cosmically integrated—nāgas, sages, and even fierce beings become aligned to protect dharma within the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred geography as described in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the emphasis is on recognizing and venerating the stationed sacred beings of the kṣetra.