Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

कालाक्षो भीषणश्चंडो वृतोऽष्टादशकोटिभिः । घंटाकर्णगणो नाम दक्षिणं द्वारमाश्रितः

Transliteration

kālākṣo bhīṣaṇaścaṃḍo vṛto'ṣṭādaśakoṭibhiḥ | ghaṃṭākarṇagaṇo nāma dakṣiṇaṃ dvāramāśritaḥ

Translation

ಭೀಕರನೂ ಚಂಡನೂ ಆದ ‘ಕಾಲಾಕ್ಷ’ ಅಷ್ಟಾದಶಕೋಟಿ ಗಣಗಳಿಂದ ಆವರಿತನಾಗಿ, ‘ಘಂಟಾಕರ್ಣ’ ಎಂಬ ಗಣಸಮೂಹದೊಂದಿಗೆ ದಕ್ಷಿಣದ್ವಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• कालाक्षः: Kālākṣa (name of a gaṇa)
• कालाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गणविशेष-नाम

• भीषणः: terrible
• भीषणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• चण्डः: fierce
• चण्डः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘surrounded/attended’

• अष्टादश-कोटिभिः: by eighteen crores (of gaṇas)
• अष्टादश-कोटिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘अष्टादश कोटयः’

• घंटाकर्ण-गणः: the gaṇa named Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घंटाकर्ण-गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटाकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘घंटाकर्णः (नाम) गणः’

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; नामनिर्देशार्थ (called)

• दक्षिणम्: southern
• दक्षिणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वारम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• द्वारम्: gate
• द्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रितः: has taken position at / has resorted to
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having resorted to/occupying’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (dakṣiṇa-dvāra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the southern gate, the dreadful Kālākṣa stands amid eighteen koṭis of gaṇas; the troop is called Ghaṇṭākarṇa—bell-eared guardians whose ornaments ring as they patrol.

Characters & Entities

• Kālākṣa
• Ghaṇṭākarṇa-gaṇa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s boundaries are protected by designated powers, teaching reverence and restraint when approaching holy space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically the southern gate (dakṣiṇa-dvāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it assigns guardianship and indicates the southern directional protection.