Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

हिरण्यातटमाश्रित्य रक्षार्थं समुपस्थितम् । तत्रैव हीरकं क्षेत्रं तस्मिन्रक्षां करोति सः

Transliteration

hiraṇyātaṭamāśritya rakṣārthaṃ samupasthitam | tatraiva hīrakaṃ kṣetraṃ tasminrakṣāṃ karoti saḥ

Translation

ഹിരണ്യാ നദീതീരം ആശ്രയിച്ച്, രക്ഷാർത്ഥം അദ്ദേഹം അവിടെ സന്നിഹിതനായി നില്ക്കുന്നു। അവിടെയേ ‘ഹീരക’ ക്ഷേത്രം; ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് അദ്ദേഹം കാവലും രക്ഷയും നടത്തുന്നു।

Word by Word

• हिरण्यतटम्: the golden bank/shore
• हिरण्यतटम्: Karma (Object of āśritya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हिरण्यस्य तटः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; धातु: आ-श्रि

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रक्षायाः अर्थः); पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• समुपस्थितम्: present/arrived
• समुपस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था (धातु) → समुपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied देवम्/क्षेत्रपालम्)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• हीरकम्: diamond-like/‘Hīraka’ (name)
• हीरकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in it
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्षाम्: protection
• रक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: does/makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hiraṇyā-taṭa / Hīraka-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Devī/Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous guardian deity stationed on a riverbank labeled Hiraṇyā; behind him lies a demarcated sacred ‘Hīraka-kṣetra’—shown as a bounded field with small shrines and protective markers.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyā-taṭa
• Hīraka Kṣetra
• Kṣetrapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage landscapes are not merely physical; they are ritually protected domains where divine guardians uphold sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hiraṇyā-taṭa (Hiraṇyā riverbank/shore) and the Hīraka Kṣetra within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse identifies the guardian’s station and protective function at the site.