Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21
क्षेत्रपालाः स्थिताश्चैव यथास्थाने निरूपिताः । इति वः क्षेत्रपालानां सृष्टिः प्रोक्ता समासतः
kṣetrapālāḥ sthitāścaiva yathāsthāne nirūpitāḥ | iti vaḥ kṣetrapālānāṃ sṛṣṭiḥ proktā samāsataḥ
Ainsi les Kṣetrapāla furent établis, chacun assigné à sa place propre. De cette manière, la création des Kṣetrapāla vous a été exposée en bref.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Tirtha: Kṣetrapāla system (general)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A concluding tableau: the guardians stand stationed at their appointed places—some celestial, some subterranean, some earthly—forming an invisible protective lattice around sacred spaces.
FAQs
Sacred spaces are not merely physical; they are ritually guarded and ordered, emphasizing reverence and disciplined conduct at holy places.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes a general arrangement of guardians across sacred locales.
A contextual prescription: recognize and honor the appointed guardians (Kṣetrapālas) when approaching or worshiping at sacred sites.