Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतत्क्षेत्रं तदा दत्तं शंभुना षण्मुखस्य ह । रक्षणार्थं हि विप्राणां कलिकालादिदोषतः

Transliteration

etatkṣetraṃ tadā dattaṃ śaṃbhunā ṣaṇmukhasya ha | rakṣaṇārthaṃ hi viprāṇāṃ kalikālādidoṣataḥ

Translation

Da verlieh Śambhu dieses heilige Gebiet dem Ṣaṇmukha, wahrlich, zum Schutz der Brāhmaṇas vor den Makeln, die im Kali-Zeitalter und dergleichen entstehen.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• kṣetram: sacred field
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (passive)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) adverb

• dattam: given
• dattam: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि—"given"

• śaṃbhunā: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhunā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे—"by Śambhu"

• ṣaṇmukhasya: of Ṣaṇmukha (Kārttikeya)
• ṣaṇmukhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध—"of Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced)"

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्मरण/खलु-अर्थक) emphatic particle

• rakṣaṇa-artham: for protection
• rakṣaṇa-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣaṇa + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/निश्चय) particle

• viprāṇām: of the brāhmaṇas
• viprāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध—"of the brāhmaṇas"

• kali-kāla-ādi-doṣataḥ: from the faults of the Kali age and the like
• kali-kāla-ādi-doṣataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali + kāla + ādi + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; अपादान—"from the faults beginning with (those of) the Kali age"

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu (Śiva) formally entrusts a radiant kṣetra to Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda) who stands armed with spear (śakti), facing shadowy personifications of Kali-doṣas kept at bay; brāhmaṇas stand protected behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• vipra (brāhmaṇas)
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, sacred places and their presiding deities function as protective refuges for Dharma and its custodians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kṣetra of Chapter 75, now explicitly placed under Ṣaṇmukha’s guardianship as part of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse states the dharmic purpose of the kṣetra—protection from Kali-yuga defects.