Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्थिरीभूतं च तत्स्थानं कियत्कालं वदस्व मे । केन वै रक्ष्यमाणं च कस्याज्ञा वर्तते प्रभो

Transliteration

sthirībhūtaṃ ca tatsthānaṃ kiyatkālaṃ vadasva me | kena vai rakṣyamāṇaṃ ca kasyājñā vartate prabho

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം എത്രകാലം സ്ഥിരമായി നിലനിന്നു? എനിക്ക് പറയുക. അത് ആരാൽ സംരക്ഷിക്കപ്പെട്ടു, കൂടാതെ ആരുടെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നു, ഹേ പ്രഭോ?

Word by Word

• स्थिरी-भूतम्: having become stable
• स्थिरी-भूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिरी (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); समासः—स्थिरीभूत = स्थिरं भूतम् (कर्मधारय)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘स्थानम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• स्थानम्: place / position
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कियत्-कालम्: for how long a time
• कियत्-कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कियत्काल = कियान् कालः (कर्मधारय-प्राय/तत्पुरुष)

• वदस्व: tell
• वदस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (मह्यम्)

• केन: by whom
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रक्ष्यमाणम्: being protected
• रक्ष्यमाणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्ष्यमाण (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: being protected)

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

• कस्य: of whom / whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• आज्ञा: command
• आज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वर्तते: prevails / operates
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada asking about the duration, protection, and authority of a sacred place; visual emphasis on a ‘kṣetra-pāla’ guardian figure or protective boundary markers around a shrine/forest.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order endures through protection (rakṣaṇa) and rightful authority (ājñā), not by chance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers generally to “that place” (tat-sthāna) without naming a specific tīrtha in the snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse asks about guardianship and governance.