Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मया दक्षिणभागे च विघ्नेशः संप्रतिष्ठितः । उत्तरे दण्डपाणिस्तु क्षेत्रमेतच्च रक्षति

Transliteration

mayā dakṣiṇabhāge ca vighneśaḥ saṃpratiṣṭhitaḥ | uttare daṇḍapāṇistu kṣetrametacca rakṣati

Translation

Von mir ist im Süden Vighneśa eingesetzt worden; und im Norden beschützt Daṇḍapāṇi dieses heilige Gebiet.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दक्षिणभागे: in the southern part
• दक्षिणभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण + भाग (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (in the southern part)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• विघ्नेशः: Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa)
• विघ्नेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न + ईश (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (lord of obstacles)

• संप्रतिष्ठितः: has been installed/established
• संप्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + स्था (धातु) → संप्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'स्थितः/प्रतिष्ठितः'

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the north)

• दण्डपाणिः: Daṇḍapāṇi
• दण्डपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + पाणि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—दण्डः पाणौ यस्य सः (one who has a staff in hand)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred precinct: in the south stands Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa) newly established by Śiva; in the north stands Daṇḍapāṇi, staff in hand, guarding the kṣetra boundary; the Somnātha shrine glows at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa)
• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred kṣetra is not only a place of merit but a protected divine realm, guarded by appointed deities who preserve its sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, mapped with directional guardians around the holy field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it indicates kṣetra-sthāpana and kṣetra-rakṣā—installation and protection by guardian deities.