Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

क्षयपुष्ट्यर्थविद्वेषकर्मभिः शांतिकादिभिः । पालयंति महीं यस्मान्महीपालास्ततः स्मृताः

Transliteration

kṣayapuṣṭyarthavidveṣakarmabhiḥ śāṃtikādibhiḥ | pālayaṃti mahīṃ yasmānmahīpālāstataḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Weil sie die Erde durch Riten wie śāntika (Besänftigung) und andere Handlungen schützen—um Verfall abzuwehren, Gedeihen zu mehren, Wohlergehen zu sichern und Feindschaft zu begegnen—werden sie daher als ‘mahīpālas’, Hüter des Reiches, in Erinnerung gehalten.

Word by Word

• kṣaya-puṣṭi-artha-vidveṣa-karmabhiḥ: by acts of destruction, nourishment, gain, and hostility
• kṣaya-puṣṭi-artha-vidveṣa-karmabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya+puṣṭi+artha+vidveṣa+karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (kṣayaṃ ca puṣṭiś ca arthaś ca vidveṣaś ca karmāṇi ca)

• śāṃtika-ādibhiḥ: by pacificatory rites and the like
• śāṃtika-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāṃtika+ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: śāṃtikaṃ ca ādiś ca (शांतिक-आदि = pacificatory etc.)

• pālayanti: they protect
• pālayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pāl (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahīm: the earth
• mahīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• yasmāt: because (of which)
• yasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्द, पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (relative indeclinable sense: 'because/from which reason')

• mahīpālāḥ: kings (protectors of the earth)
• mahīpālāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī+pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: mahyāḥ pālāḥ (महीपाल)

• tataḥ: therefore/for that reason
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• smṛtāḥ: are called/are considered
• smṛtāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowned king performs a śānti-homa with priests while soldiers stand guard at the boundary of fertile fields; the earth-goddess motif appears subtly, indicating ‘mahī’ being protected; distant coastal Prabhāsa shrine anchors the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla
• śāntika-karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship is defined by dharmic protection—using righteous means to maintain peace, prosperity, and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), praised in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śāntika and related rites—pacificatory religious acts performed to avert harm and ensure stability and welfare.