Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अष्टादशधनुर्देवि समंतात्परिमण्डलम् । महापापहरं देवि तत्र क्षेत्रनिवासिनाम्

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśadhanurdevi samaṃtātparimaṇḍalam | mahāpāpaharaṃ devi tatra kṣetranivāsinām

Translation

يا ديفي، إنّه حَرَمٌ دائريٌّ يحيط من كلّ جانب، ممتدٌّ ثمانيةَ عشرَ ذراعَ قوسٍ (dhanu) في كلّ جهة. يا ديفي، إنّه يزيلُ الكبائرَ عن الساكنين في ذلك الكشيترا المقدّس.

Word by Word

• aṣṭādaśa: eighteen
• aṣṭādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; समासः द्विगुः (aṣṭa+daśa)

• dhanuḥ: bow-length (measure)
• dhanuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• samantāt: on all sides
• samantāt: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गार्थक-अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘on all sides’

• parimaṇḍalam: circular/encircling
• parimaṇḍalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parimaṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying dhanuḥ/क्षेत्रम् implied)

• mahā: great
• mahā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद-विशेषण (as first member in compound)

• pāpa: sin
• pāpa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (member in compound)

• haram: sin-destroying
• haram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛ (धातु) + a (प्रत्यय) → hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (agent noun/participle sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (mahā+pāpa+hara)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb): ‘there’

• kṣetra: sacred field/place
• kṣetra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (member in compound)

• nivāsinām: of the residents (of the kṣetra)
• nivāsinām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (kṣetra+nivāsin)

Speaker

Śiva (to Devī/Umā, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (defined parimaṇḍala precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā (addressed as devi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bird’s-eye sacred mandala: a circular precinct around the shrine, marked by flags, lamps, and boundary stones; pilgrims residing within are shown shedding burdens (symbolic dark knots dissolving).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Living within a sanctified boundary (kṣetra-vāsa) is portrayed as a powerful purifier, erasing even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The defined sacred precinct of Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-vāsa (residing within the sacred area) is implied as a spiritually potent observance.