Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तावत्तिष्ठंति पुरुषे ब्रह्महत्यादिकानि च । यावन्न लिखते जंतुर्माहात्म्यं द्वारकाभवम्

Transliteration

tāvattiṣṭhaṃti puruṣe brahmahatyādikāni ca | yāvanna likhate jaṃturmāhātmyaṃ dvārakābhavam

Translation

诸罪，乃至弑婆罗门等重罪，都会停留在人身之中，直到此众生将《德瓦拉卡摩诃德米亚》书写成文。

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिबोधक-अव्ययम् (correlative adverb: so long)

• तिष्ठन्ति: remain / stay
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरुषे: in a man / in a person
• पुरुषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ब्रह्महत्या-आदिकानि: (sins) such as brahmahatyā etc.
• ब्रह्महत्या-आदिकानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (आदि-शब्देन समाहारः: ‘beginning with brahmahatyā’); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

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

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधिबोधक-अव्ययम् (correlative: as long as)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• लिखते: writes
• लिखते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• जन्तुः: a creature / person
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• द्वारकाभवम्: connected with Dvārakā
• द्वारकाभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (माहात्म्यम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-scribe sits with ink and stylus, carefully copying the Dvārakā Māhātmya; above, a subtle vision of Hari’s symbols indicates inner purification; dark stains representing sins fade from the page and the scribe’s aura.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Copying (writing) the Dvārakā Māhātmya is praised as a powerful dharmic act that counteracts even grave sins, emphasizing devotion expressed through preservation and transmission of sacred lore.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, whose māhātmya is presented as spiritually transformative when written and kept.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Likhana—writing/copying the Dvārakā Māhātmya as an act of religious merit (punya) and expiation.