Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

धारयंतु महात्मानो दिग्गजा इव मेदिनीम् । एवं प्रभुत्वमास्थाय स्थानेऽस्मिञ्छिवशालिनि

Transliteration

dhārayaṃtu mahātmāno diggajā iva medinīm | evaṃ prabhutvamāsthāya sthāne'smiñchivaśālini

Translation

Hendaklah para mahātmā menopang negeri ini laksana gajah penjuru menopang bumi. Demikian, dengan memegang kewibawaan yang benar di tempat yang diberkahi Śiva ini, peliharalah keteguhan dan ketertibannya.

Word by Word

• धारयन्तु: let them uphold/bear
• धारयन्तु: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महात्मानः: the great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिग्गजाः: direction-elephants (mythic elephants of the quarters)
• दिग्गजाः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘दिशां गजाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus; in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रभुत्वम्: lordship; authority
• प्रभुत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having assumed; taking up
• आस्थाय: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आस्था (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + आ- उपसर्ग; ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having assumed/taken’

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स्थाने’ इति विशेषणम्

• शिवशालिनि: abounding in Śiva; endowed with Śiva
• शिवशालिनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘शिवेन शालिनि’/‘शिवयुक्ते’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स्थाने’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahātmānaḥ / dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: eight great-souled guardians stand at the quarters like diggajas, with the Prabhāsa temple at the center glowing with Śiva’s presence; the land appears steady and protected.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Śiva
• diggaja
• medinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stewardship of a Śiva-sanctified place is a sacred duty—leaders must uphold it with unwavering support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, explicitly described as “Śiva-śālini,” adorned with Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A governance injunction: uphold and stabilize the kṣetra through righteous authority, like cosmic supports of the earth.