Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

धारयंतु महात्मानो दिग्गजा इव मेदिनीम् । एवं प्रभुत्वमास्थाय स्थानेऽस्मिञ्छिवशालिनि

Transliteration

dhārayaṃtu mahātmāno diggajā iva medinīm | evaṃ prabhutvamāsthāya sthāne'smiñchivaśālini

Translation

Die Großgesinnten sollen dieses Land tragen, wie die Diggaja, die Richtungs-Elefanten, die Erde tragen. So sollt ihr, indem ihr in diesem von Śiva geweihten Ort rechtmäßige Herrschaft übernehmt, seine Festigkeit und Ordnung bewahren.

Word by Word

• धारयन्तु: let them uphold/bear
• धारयन्तु: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महात्मानः: the great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिग्गजाः: direction-elephants (mythic elephants of the quarters)
• दिग्गजाः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘दिशां गजाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus; in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रभुत्वम्: lordship; authority
• प्रभुत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having assumed; taking up
• आस्थाय: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आस्था (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + आ- उपसर्ग; ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having assumed/taken’

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स्थाने’ इति विशेषणम्

• शिवशालिनि: abounding in Śiva; endowed with Śiva
• शिवशालिनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘शिवेन शालिनि’/‘शिवयुक्ते’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स्थाने’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahātmānaḥ / dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: eight great-souled guardians stand at the quarters like diggajas, with the Prabhāsa temple at the center glowing with Śiva’s presence; the land appears steady and protected.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Śiva
• diggaja
• medinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stewardship of a Śiva-sanctified place is a sacred duty—leaders must uphold it with unwavering support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, explicitly described as “Śiva-śālini,” adorned with Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A governance injunction: uphold and stabilize the kṣetra through righteous authority, like cosmic supports of the earth.