Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

प्रेतत्वं नैव तस्यास्ति न याम्या नारकी व्यथा । येन द्वारवतीं गत्वा कृतं कृष्णाऽवलोकनम्

Transliteration

pretatvaṃ naiva tasyāsti na yāmyā nārakī vyathā | yena dvāravatīṃ gatvā kṛtaṃ kṛṣṇā'valokanam

Translation

凡往至堕罗伐底而得瞻礼黑天者，既无作饿鬼（preta）之境，亦无阎摩界之苦，更无地狱之痛。

Word by Word

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghosthood)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• याम्या: Yama-related (of the realm of Yama)
• याम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (vyathāyāḥ)

• नारकी: hellish
• नारकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (vyathāyāḥ)

• व्यथा: pain/torment
• व्यथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• येन: by which/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे हेतौ (by which/whereby)

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvārvati (Dvārakā)
• द्वारवतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having gone)

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (done/performed)

• कृष्णावलोकनम्: seeing/vision of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णावलोकनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य अवलोकनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā, hands folded; behind the pilgrim, shadowy forms of Yama’s attendants dissolve, symbolizing the end of preta/naraka suffering; temple and sea frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāravatī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṛṣṇa-darśana in Dvārakā is portrayed as a powerful dispeller of post-death suffering and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvāravatī/Dvārakā as the place of Kṛṣṇa’s presence and saving darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage and darśana—going to Dvārakā and beholding Kṛṣṇa.