Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

यथादिशं वसंति स्म द्वारकायाः समन्ततः । मेर्वाद्याः पर्वताः सौम्ये द्वारकासेवनोत्सुकाः

Transliteration

yathādiśaṃ vasaṃti sma dvārakāyāḥ samantataḥ | mervādyāḥ parvatāḥ saumye dvārakāsevanotsukāḥ

Translation

温和者啊，据说自须弥（Meru）起的诸山，依各自方位环住都瓦拉迦（Dvārakā）而居，心怀渴仰，愿为都瓦拉迦奉事随侍。

Word by Word

• यथादिशम्: according to the directions
• यथादिशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘यथादिशम्’ = ‘according to (each) direction’ (adverbial)

• वसंति: dwell
• वसंति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed; (narrative marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपातः; भूतार्थ/वृत्तान्तसूचक (narrative particle; often with past sense)

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides; all around
• समन्ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परितः/सर्वतः-वाचक (adverb: all around)

• मेर्वाद्याः: Meru and other (mountains)
• मेर्वाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘मेरुः आदिः येषाम्’ इति (ādi-प्रयोगः ‘and others’), समूहवाचक

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सौम्ये: O gentle one
• सौम्ये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; श्रोत्र-सम्बोधन

• द्वारकासेवनोत्सुकाः: eager to visit/serve Dvārakā
• द्वारकासेवनोत्सुकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वारका + सेवन + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘द्वारकायाः सेवनम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + ‘उत्सुक’ (तत्पुरुष-समाससमूहः); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘पर्वताः’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘saumye’ (addressed gentle listener; likely a sage/king interlocutor in māhātmya frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala composition: Dvārakā at center like a lotus; in each direction, stylized mountains with personified faces/hands offering garlands, water, and incense toward the city.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā is portrayed as so sanctifying that even cosmic mountains are imagined as devoted attendants—teaching reverence for the kṣetra and faith in tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā kṣetra, celebrated as a supreme holy abode attracting sacred presences from all directions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes the devotional atmosphere and sacred geography surrounding Dvārakā.