Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रस्थानामिमे भेदा वृत्तिं तेषां शृणुष्व च

Transliteration

kṣetrasthānāmime bhedā vṛttiṃ teṣāṃ śṛṇuṣva ca

Translation

Éstas son las divisiones de quienes habitan en el kṣetra sagrado; escucha ahora también el modo de sustento y la conducta que les corresponde.

Word by Word

• kṣetrasthānām: of the sacred-field dwellings/places
• kṣetrasthānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetrasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: kṣetra+sthāna (क्षेत्रस्य स्थानम्)

• ime: these
• ime: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• bhedāḥ: types/divisions
• bhedāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• vṛttim: the mode of life/practice
• vṛttim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implicitly the same addressed lady (varānanā/bhāminī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher concludes the enumeration and prepares to explain each group’s livelihood; the listener leans forward; a scroll/palm-leaf is opened, indicating forthcoming detailed rules; the sacred coastal precinct frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrasthāna (kṣetra-dweller)
• Vṛtti (conduct/livelihood)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is transmitted as structured instruction: first identifying paths, then defining their practical conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where regulated lifestyles are presented as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to learn and follow the vṛtti (rules of living) appropriate to each kṣetra-resident category.