Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततः क्षेत्रपतीन्देवाश्चतुःषष्टिं महेश्वरम् । सिद्धेयं नाम क्षेत्रस्य रक्षार्थं निदधुः स्वयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kṣetrapatīndevāścatuḥṣaṣṭiṃ maheśvaram | siddheyaṃ nāma kṣetrasya rakṣārthaṃ nidadhuḥ svayam

Translation

തുടർന്ന് ദേവന്മാർ സ്വയം ‘സിദ്ധേയാ’ എന്ന ക్షേത്രത്തിന്റെ സംരക്ഷണത്തിനായി അറുപത്തിനാലു മഹേശ്വരന്മാരെ ക്ഷേത്രപതികളായി നിയമിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• क्षेत्रपतीन्: the lords/guardians of the field (kṣetrapatis)
• क्षेत्रपतीन्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• चतुःषष्टिम्: sixty-four
• चतुःषष्टिम्: विशेषण (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःषष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सिद्धा: Siddhā
• सिद्धा: सम्बन्ध (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: सम्बन्ध (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्यय (particle indicating name: ‘by name’)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the field/region
• क्षेत्रस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक-द्वितीया (accusative of purpose)

• निदधुः: they placed/appointed
• निदधुः: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वयम्: themselves
• स्वयम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Emphasis/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक-अव्यय (emphatic: themselves)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheyā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic mandala over Siddheyā-kṣetra: 64 fierce yet auspicious Mahēśvaras stationed in a ring, each holding trident/drum, facing outward to guard; the liṅga and Devī at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Siddheyā-kṣetra
• Catuḥṣaṣṭi (64) Maheśvaras
• Kṣetrapatis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra is not merely land but a protected spiritual jurisdiction, upheld by divinely appointed guardians to preserve dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddheyā-kṣetra (explicitly named).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse describes divine appointment/establishment of kṣetrapatis; it implies the tradition of honoring kṣetra-guardians at the site.