Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दुर्गाः ह्यष्टादश तथा क्षेत्रपालास्तु षोडश । भृगुक्षेत्रे भविष्यन्ति वीरभद्राश्च मातरः

Transliteration

durgāḥ hyaṣṭādaśa tathā kṣetrapālāstu ṣoḍaśa | bhṛgukṣetre bhaviṣyanti vīrabhadrāśca mātaraḥ

Translation

„Achtzehn Durgās und sechzehn Kṣetrapālas, die Hüter des heiligen Feldes, werden im Bhṛgu-kṣetra erscheinen; ebenso Vīrabhadra und die Mütter (Mātṛkās).“

Word by Word

• दुर्गाः: Durgās (goddess-forms)
• दुर्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ

• अष्टादश: eighteen
• अष्टादश: Sankhya (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘eighteen’ (qualifying plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (likewise)

• क्षेत्रपालाः: field-guardians
• क्षेत्रपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + पाल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; क्षेत्रपाल = ‘guardian of the field’

• तु: and, moreover
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अन्वय/विरोध

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Sankhya (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘sixteen’

• भृगु-क्षेत्रे: in Bhṛgu-kṣetra
• भृगु-क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वीरभद्राः: Vīrabhadras
• वीरभद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• मातरः: Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛgu-kṣetra (Śaiva-Śākta guardian mandala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahman-sage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary mapping of Bhṛgu-kṣetra’s divine defenses: eighteen forms of Durgā, sixteen Kṣetrapālas stationed at directions/boundaries, with Vīrabhadra and the Mātṛkās present—turning the kṣetra into a living fortress of Śiva-Śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā (18 forms)
• Kṣetrapāla (16 guardians)
• Vīrabhadra
• Mātaraḥ (Mothers/Mātṛkās)
• Bhṛgu-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sanctified place is protected by a divine retinue—Śaiva and Śākta powers together uphold the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhṛgu-kṣetra, described as guarded by Kṣetrapālas and empowered by goddess-forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse establishes the protective pantheon associated with the kṣetra.