Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21
क्षेत्रपालाः स्थिताश्चैव यथास्थाने निरूपिताः । इति वः क्षेत्रपालानां सृष्टिः प्रोक्ता समासतः
kṣetrapālāḥ sthitāścaiva yathāsthāne nirūpitāḥ | iti vaḥ kṣetrapālānāṃ sṛṣṭiḥ proktā samāsataḥ
So wurden die Kṣetrapāla aufgestellt, ein jeder an seinen rechten Ort berufen. Auf diese Weise ist euch die Entstehung der Kṣetrapāla in Kürze dargelegt worden.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Tirtha: Kṣetrapāla system (general)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A concluding tableau: the guardians stand stationed at their appointed places—some celestial, some subterranean, some earthly—forming an invisible protective lattice around sacred spaces.
FAQs
Sacred spaces are not merely physical; they are ritually guarded and ordered, emphasizing reverence and disciplined conduct at holy places.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes a general arrangement of guardians across sacred locales.
A contextual prescription: recognize and honor the appointed guardians (Kṣetrapālas) when approaching or worshiping at sacred sites.