Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अतीतं वर्त्तमानं च भविष्यद्यच्च पातकम् । निर्द्दहेन्नास्ति संदेहो द्वारका मनसा स्मृता

Transliteration

atītaṃ varttamānaṃ ca bhaviṣyadyacca pātakam | nirddahennāsti saṃdeho dvārakā manasā smṛtā

Translation

过去、现在，乃至将来可能生起的罪业——毫无疑问——只要心中忆念德瓦拉卡，皆被焚尽。

Word by Word

• atītam: past
• atītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vartamānam: present
• vartamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (वृत् धातु) + vartamāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhaviṣyat: future
• bhaviṣyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhū (भू धातु) + bhaviṣyat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यत्-कृदन्त (future participle/gerundive-like adjectival), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pātakam: sin
• pātakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• nirddahet: would burn up/destroy
• nirddahet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + dah (दह् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), उपसर्ग: निर् (nir-)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध-निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃdehaḥ: doubt
• saṃdehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• manasā: by the mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• smṛtā: remembered
• smṛtā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + smṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, passive sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (generic; often sages/śaunaka-group in purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation visualizes golden Dvārakā rising from the sea; a subtle fire of mantra consumes dark smoke-like sins labeled past, present, future.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is spiritually potent: even mental remembrance of a supremely holy place purifies and transforms karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified as so purifying that even its remembrance destroys sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (mindful remembrance) of Dvārakā is presented as a powerful purificatory practice.