Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गङ्गाया दक्षिणे देवि क्षेत्ररक्षणतत्परः । माघे कृष्णचतुर्दश्यां यस्तं पूजयते नरः

Transliteration

gaṅgāyā dakṣiṇe devi kṣetrarakṣaṇatatparaḥ | māghe kṛṣṇacaturdaśyāṃ yastaṃ pūjayate naraḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! ഗംഗയുടെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് അവൻ ക്ഷേത്രരക്ഷയിൽ തൽപരനാണ്; മാഘ മാസത്തിലെ കൃഷ്ണ ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും അവനെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ…

Word by Word

• गङ्गायाः: of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern side
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्ररक्षणतत्परः: intent on guarding the sacred area
• क्षेत्ररक्षणतत्परः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (one devoted to protecting the field)

• माघे: in (the month of) Māgha
• माघे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: on the dark-fortnight fourteenth (tithi)
• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; (कृष्णपक्षस्य) चतुर्दशी

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā/Jāhnavī vicinity at Prabhāsa; southern guardian-shrine

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small shrine south of the sacred waters; the guardian deity stands vigilant. On a dark fortnight fourteenth night in Māgha, devotees arrive with lamps, bilva leaves, incense, and offerings; priests conduct pūjā under a starry sky.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī
• Kṣetra (Prabhāsa) guardian deity (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship at the right place and time aligns the devotee with the protective order of the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A kṣetra-guardian shrine situated south of the Gaṅgā presence within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā on Māgha month’s kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī (waning fourteenth lunar day).