Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कपिलः क्षेत्रपालश्च प्रतीचीं पाति वै दिशम् । नमस्कार्यास्तथा पूज्या वायव्यो शृणुतापरान्

Transliteration

kapilaḥ kṣetrapālaśca pratīcīṃ pāti vai diśam | namaskāryāstathā pūjyā vāyavyo śṛṇutāparān

Translation

Kapila und der Kṣetrapāla schützen wahrlich das westliche Viertel. Ihnen gebührt Verneigung und Verehrung. Nun hört von den Hütern der nordwestlichen (Vāyavya) Richtung.

Word by Word

• kapilaḥ: Kapila
• kapilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• kṣetra-pālaḥ: guardian of the sacred area
• kṣetra-pālaḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदik) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षेत्रस्य पालः’ (guardian of the field/region)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pratīcīm: the western (direction)
• pratīcīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दिशम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• pāti: protects/guards
• pāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) निश्चयार्थक

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• namaskāryāḥ: worthy of salutation
• namaskāryāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: namaskārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘also/likewise’

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• vāyavyaḥ: Vāyavya (the north-west/wind quarter)
• vāyavyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिक्पाल/दिक्-विशेषः (north-west/wind-quarter)

• śṛṇuta: hear/listen
• śṛṇuta: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• aparān: others/further (ones)
• aparān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (अध्याहृत) ‘वचनानि/अन्यान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas) / pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Dvārakā’s western boundary shrine bows with folded hands before Kapila (sage-like, tawny hue) and a fierce Kṣetrapāla guardian with weapons and dog emblem; the scene then opens toward the north-west direction as the narration continues.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Kṣetrapāla
• Pratīcī (west)
• Vāyavya (north-west)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage dharma includes honoring the kṣetra’s protectors—salutation and worship are part of approaching a holy place correctly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, described with explicit kṣetra-rakṣā (protection of the sacred precinct).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) and pūjā (worship) of the guardians/Kṣetrapāla.