Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

इयं च शोभते पुण्या द्वारका कृष्ण वल्लभा । प्रपश्यंतु महाभागास्तथा वाराणसीं शुभाम्

Transliteration

iyaṃ ca śobhate puṇyā dvārakā kṛṣṇa vallabhā | prapaśyaṃtu mahābhāgāstathā vārāṇasīṃ śubhām

Translation

此圣洁的德瓦拉卡（Dvārakā）光辉灿然，为克里希那（Kṛṣṇa）所钟爱。愿大福之人得以瞻礼此地，并同样得见吉祥的瓦拉纳西（Vārāṇasī）。

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she/this city)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• शोभते: shines/is splendid
• शोभते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्/शोभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• पुण्या: holy/meritorious
• पुण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कृष्ण: of Krishna
• कृष्ण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (सम्बोधन-रूपेण अपि सम्भवः); सम्बन्धार्थे

• वल्लभा: beloved
• वल्लभा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (द्वारकायाः)

• प्रपश्यन्तु: let (them) behold
• प्रपश्यन्तु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महाभागाः: the fortunate/noble ones
• महाभागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान्तः भागाः यस्य) प्रशंसार्थे

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाराणसीम्)

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from immediate narrative: Prahlāda responds after Nārada’s words in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā; Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-panel sacred map: on one side sea-bathed Dvārakā gleaming; on the other, riverine Kāśī with ghāṭas and lamps. A narrator-figure gestures inviting the ‘mahābhāga’ to behold both.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True fortune is to seek darśana of sanctified places; holy geography becomes a means of awakening devotion and earning puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is praised as especially radiant and beloved of Kṛṣṇa, with Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) also named as auspicious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on darśana—reverent visitation and beholding of the kṣetra.