Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

त्यजते यां कलौ नैव कृष्णो देवकिनन्दनः । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा तां पुरीं को न सेवते

Transliteration

tyajate yāṃ kalau naiva kṛṣṇo devakinandanaḥ | karmaṇā manasā vācā tāṃ purīṃ ko na sevate

Translation

那座城，连提婆吉之子克里希纳在迦梨时代也不曾舍弃——谁会不以身、以意、以言来恭敬并归依它？

Word by Word

• त्यजते: abandons
• त्यजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• याम्: which (city)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• कलौ: in Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवकी: Devaki
• देवकी: Sambandha (Genitive-relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• नन्दनः: son
• नन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समास: देवकी-नन्दनः (तत्पुरुषः—‘देवक्याः नन्दनः’ = Devaki’s son)

• कर्मणा: by action
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/साधनवाचक

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• सेवते: serves/visits
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees approach Dvārakā with folded hands; threefold devotion shown: one offers flowers (deed), one chants (speech), one meditates (mind). A subtle Kṛṣṇa aura pervades the city even in Kali age.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Devakī
• Kali Yuga
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is sustained by divine presence; devotion should be complete—through body, mind, and speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, identified as abidingly connected with Kṛṣṇa even in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/bhakti with trikāraṇa (karma–manas–vāc) is recommended as the mode of honoring the city.