Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अष्टादशधनुर्देवि समंतात्परिमण्डलम् । महापापहरं देवि तत्र क्षेत्रनिवासिनाम्

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśadhanurdevi samaṃtātparimaṇḍalam | mahāpāpaharaṃ devi tatra kṣetranivāsinām

Translation

Ô Déesse, c’est une enceinte circulaire s’étendant de toutes parts sur dix-huit dhanus. Ô Déesse, elle efface les grands péchés de ceux qui demeurent dans ce kṣetra.

Word by Word

• aṣṭādaśa: eighteen
• aṣṭādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; समासः द्विगुः (aṣṭa+daśa)

• dhanuḥ: bow-length (measure)
• dhanuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• samantāt: on all sides
• samantāt: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गार्थक-अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘on all sides’

• parimaṇḍalam: circular/encircling
• parimaṇḍalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parimaṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying dhanuḥ/क्षेत्रम् implied)

• mahā: great
• mahā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद-विशेषण (as first member in compound)

• pāpa: sin
• pāpa: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (member in compound)

• haram: sin-destroying
• haram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛ (धातु) + a (प्रत्यय) → hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (agent noun/participle sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (mahā+pāpa+hara)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb): ‘there’

• kṣetra: sacred field/place
• kṣetra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (member in compound)

• nivāsinām: of the residents (of the kṣetra)
• nivāsinām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (kṣetra+nivāsin)

Speaker

Śiva (to Devī/Umā, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (defined parimaṇḍala precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā (addressed as devi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bird’s-eye sacred mandala: a circular precinct around the shrine, marked by flags, lamps, and boundary stones; pilgrims residing within are shown shedding burdens (symbolic dark knots dissolving).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Living within a sanctified boundary (kṣetra-vāsa) is portrayed as a powerful purifier, erasing even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The defined sacred precinct of Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-vāsa (residing within the sacred area) is implied as a spiritually potent observance.