Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दुर्ल्लभानीह तीर्थानि दुर्लभाः पर्वतोत्तमाः । दुर्ल्लभा वैष्णवा लोके द्वारकावसतिः कलौ

Transliteration

durllabhānīha tīrthāni durlabhāḥ parvatottamāḥ | durllabhā vaiṣṇavā loke dvārakāvasatiḥ kalau

Translation

此世间，圣地渡口（tīrtha）实为难得；至胜之山亦难得。人间的毗湿奴信众（Vaiṣṇava）亦难得——而在迦梨时代，得居住于德瓦拉卡更是难得。

Word by Word

• दुर्लभानि: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभानि: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘tīrthāni’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• दुर्लभाः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘parvatottamāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पर्वत: mountain
• पर्वत: Samāsa-pūrvapada (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• उत्तमाः: best/excellent
• उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (as head of compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पर्वत-उत्तमाः: the best mountains
• पर्वत-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); ‘excellent mountains’

• दुर्लभाः: rare
• दुर्लभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘vaiṣṇavāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• वैष्णवाः: Vaiṣṇavas (devotees of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Samāsa-pūrvapada (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular) (समासाङ्ग)

• वसतिः: dwelling/residence
• वसतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• द्वारका-वसतिः: residence in Dvārakā
• द्वारका-वसतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका + वसति (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (residence in/of Dvārakā)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-gathering at Dvārakā’s seashore with temple spires, conch and discus motifs, and the sense of a rare chance in Kali-yuga; distant sacred mountains and tīrtha markers implied as ‘rare treasures’.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavas
• Dwārakā
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, authentic devotion and access to powerful sacred geography are precious and should be valued and pursued.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dwārakā, especially the blessing of being able to reside there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it encourages seeking holy places and cultivating Vaiṣṇava devotion, with Dwārakā-residence as an ideal.