Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यस्तत्र पूजयेद्देवं क्षेत्रपालं च दुन्दुभिम् । स पुत्रपशुमान्धीमाञ्छ्रीमान्भवति मानवः

Transliteration

yastatra pūjayeddevaṃ kṣetrapālaṃ ca dundubhim | sa putrapaśumāndhīmāñchrīmānbhavati mānavaḥ

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವನ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಪಾಲನನ್ನೂ ದುಂದುಭಿಯನ್ನೂ ಪೂಜಿಸುವವನು, ಪುತ್ರ-ಪಶುಸಂಪತ್ತಿಯುಳ್ಳವನಾಗಿ, ಧೀಮಂತನಾಗಿ, ಶ್ರೀಮಂತನಾಗಿ ಆಗುತ್ತಾನೆ।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devam: the deity
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kṣetrapālam: the guardian of the sacred place
• kṣetrapālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य पालः)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• dundubhim: a kettle-drum
• dundubhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dundubhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• putrapaśumān: possessing sons and cattle
• putrapaśumān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + paśu (प्रातिपदिक) + matup् (मत्वर्थ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; द्वन्द्व (पुत्र-पाśu) + मत्वर्थ (possessive: 'having')

• dhīmān: intelligent
• dhīmān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• śrīmān: prosperous
• śrīmān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mānavaḥ: a man
• mānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Durvāsāditya precinct with Kṣetrapāla and Dundubhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General devotee implied; instruction continues from address to the lady

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs pūjā in a temple courtyard: central deity shrine in background; to one side stands a fierce yet protective Kṣetrapāla; nearby a sacred ‘Dundubhi’ emblem (a drum on a pedestal or a drum-bearing icon) is honored with flowers and lamps; the pilgrim’s household symbols—child, cattle—appear as auspicious outcome motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapāla
• Dundubhi
• Durvāsāditya/Sūrya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are protected by guardian powers; honoring the main deity together with the kṣetra-guardians brings stability and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship setting is ‘there’ in Prabhāsakṣetra, in the Durvāsāditya-centered context of this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the primary deity along with Kṣetrapāla and Dundubhi at the site.