Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कपिलः क्षेत्रपालश्च प्रतीचीं पाति वै दिशम् । नमस्कार्यास्तथा पूज्या वायव्यो शृणुतापरान्

Transliteration

kapilaḥ kṣetrapālaśca pratīcīṃ pāti vai diśam | namaskāryāstathā pūjyā vāyavyo śṛṇutāparān

Translation

कपिल और क्षेत्रपाल निश्चय ही पश्चिम दिशा की रक्षा करते हैं। वे नमस्कार और पूजन के योग्य हैं। अब वायव्य (उत्तर-पश्चिम) दिशा के रक्षकों का वर्णन सुनो।

Word by Word

• kapilaḥ: Kapila
• kapilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• kṣetra-pālaḥ: guardian of the sacred area
• kṣetra-pālaḥ: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदik) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षेत्रस्य पालः’ (guardian of the field/region)

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

• pratīcīm: the western (direction)
• pratīcīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दिशम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• pāti: protects/guards
• pāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) निश्चयार्थक

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• namaskāryāḥ: worthy of salutation
• namaskāryāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: namaskārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘also/likewise’

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• vāyavyaḥ: Vāyavya (the north-west/wind quarter)
• vāyavyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिक्पाल/दिक्-विशेषः (north-west/wind-quarter)

• śṛṇuta: hear/listen
• śṛṇuta: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• aparān: others/further (ones)
• aparān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (अध्याहृत) ‘वचनानि/अन्यान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas) / pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Dvārakā’s western boundary shrine bows with folded hands before Kapila (sage-like, tawny hue) and a fierce Kṣetrapāla guardian with weapons and dog emblem; the scene then opens toward the north-west direction as the narration continues.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Kṣetrapāla
• Pratīcī (west)
• Vāyavya (north-west)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage dharma includes honoring the kṣetra’s protectors—salutation and worship are part of approaching a holy place correctly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, described with explicit kṣetra-rakṣā (protection of the sacred precinct).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) and pūjā (worship) of the guardians/Kṣetrapāla.