Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

अर्बुदं च गणानां च प्रभासं क्षेत्रमाश्रिताः । द्वारिद्वारि प्रचंडास्ते शूलमुद्गरपाणयः

Transliteration

arbudaṃ ca gaṇānāṃ ca prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāśritāḥ | dvāridvāri pracaṃḍāste śūlamudgarapāṇayaḥ

Translation

Eine Schar von Gaṇas, so zahlreich wie ein «arbuda», hat im heiligen Kṣetra von Prabhāsa Zuflucht genommen. An jedem Tor stehen sie, überaus furchterregend, mit Dreizack und Keule in den Händen.

Word by Word

• अर्बुदम्: an arbuda (a very large number)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (a crore/ten million)

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

• गणानाम्: of the gaṇas
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

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

• आश्रिताः: having resorted to / dwelling in
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘having resorted to/inhabiting’

• द्वारि-द्वारि: at every gate
• द्वारि-द्वारि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् पुनरुक्ति; सप्तमी-अर्थे अव्ययप्रयोग ‘at each gate’

• प्रचण्डाः: fierce, formidable
• प्रचण्डाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रचण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• शूल-मुद्गर-पाणयः: those whose hands hold tridents and clubs
• शूल-मुद्गर-पाणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शूलमुद्गरौ पाण्योः यस्य/येषां) ‘having tridents and clubs in (their) hands’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devēśī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At every gate of Prabhāsa, fierce gaṇas stand guard in rows, gripping tridents and maces; the sacred field behind them glows, suggesting inviolable sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely geography; it is a protected dharmic space where spiritual purity is safeguarded.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, depicted with guarded gateways and divine sentinels.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse describes protective guardianship at the kṣetra’s entrances.