Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एकैकस्मिन्पदे दत्ते द्वारकापथि गच्छताम् । पुण्यं क्रतुसहस्राणां तत्पादरजसंख्यया

Transliteration

ekaikasminpade datte dvārakāpathi gacchatām | puṇyaṃ kratusahasrāṇāṃ tatpādarajasaṃkhyayā

Translation

凡行走在通往德瓦拉卡（Dvārakā）之路的人，每迈出一步，便生起等同千千吠陀祭祀的功德——以其足所触尘粒之数为量。

Word by Word

• एक-एकस्मिन्: in each (single)
• एक-एकस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (एकः एकः), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदे’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (Locative, Singular; adjectival)

• पदे: step; footstep
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• दत्ते: when (a step) is taken/given
• दत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदे’ इति पदेन सह सति-सप्तमी (Locative absolute sense)

• द्वारका-पथि: on the road to Dvārakā
• द्वारका-पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वारकायाः पथः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative, Singular)

• गच्छताम्: of those who are going
• गच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गच्छत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) ‘गच्छत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• पुण्यम्: merit; religious merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• क्रतु-सहस्राणाम्: of thousands of sacrifices
• क्रतु-सहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्रतूनां सहस्राणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural)

• तत्-पाद-रज-संख्यया: by the measure/number of the dust of his feet
• तत्-पाद-रज-संख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-patha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of pilgrims’ feet on a sunlit road to Dvārakā; each step raises sacred dust that transforms into luminous symbols of sacrifices (yajña-kuṇḍas, ladles, flames) floating like sparks of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage undertaken with devotion is itself a sacrifice; even the physical act of walking toward a holy dhāma generates immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred abode associated with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and specifically the yātrā-path leading to it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the yātrā (journey on foot) itself is praised as producing sacrifice-like merit.