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

Une multitude de Gaṇa, vaste comme un « arbuda », a pris refuge dans le kṣetra sacré de Prabhāsa. À chaque porte, ils se tiennent, d’une férocité extrême, tenant tridents et massues en leurs mains.

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.