Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तद्वयं तानि सर्वाणि गृहीत्वा च व्यवस्थिताः । लोकस्य रक्षणार्थाय संज्ञेयं तेन लोकपाः

Transliteration

tadvayaṃ tāni sarvāṇi gṛhītvā ca vyavasthitāḥ | lokasya rakṣaṇārthāya saṃjñeyaṃ tena lokapāḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾ ആ എല്ലാം (അസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ) കൈക്കൊണ്ട് കർത്തവ്യത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; ലോകരക്ഷയ്ക്കായതിനാൽ—അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ഞങ്ങളെ ‘ലോകപാലർ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tat: therefore/then
• tat: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter nominative/accusative singular used as discourse particle: "therefore/then"

• vayam: we
• vayam: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative plural (1st/प्रथमा)

• tāni: those
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative plural (2nd/द्वितीया), neuter

• sarvāṇi: all
• sarvāṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative plural (2nd/द्वितीया); agrees with "tāni"

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु) absolutive (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), indeclinable; "having taken"

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• vyavasthitāḥ: stood stationed / became established
• vyavasthitāḥ: Kriyā (Main predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava√sthā (धातु) + क्त (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), masculine nominative plural; used predicatively: "stood/settled"

• lokasya: of the world
• lokasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive singular (6th/षष्ठी)

• rakṣaṇa-arthāya: for protecting
• rakṣaṇa-arthāya: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative singular (4th/चतुर्थी) expressing purpose; tatpuruṣa: rakṣaṇa-artha = "for the purpose of protection"

• saṃjñeyam: is to be called/known
• saṃjñeyam: Kriyā (Predicate/vidhi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√jñā (धातु) + यत् (णीय)
• Form: Gerundive (णीय/यत्), neuter nominative/accusative singular; impersonal: "is to be known/called"

• tena: therefore / by that
• tena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental singular (3rd/तृतीया), masculine/neuter; "by that/therefore"

• lokapāḥ: world-protectors (Lokapālas)
• lokapāḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pā (प्रातिपदिक from √pā "to protect")
• Form: Masculine, Nominative plural (1st/प्रथमा); tatpuruṣa: loka-pā = "protector of the world"

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods, having taken up all the empowered weapons, stand poised for the protection of the world; their office-name ‘Lokapālas’ is explained as arising from this duty.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapālas
• Śakra (Indra)
• Rudra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority is justified by service—true guardianship (pālana) is defined by responsibility to protect the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the textual setting; its Māhātmya frames such teachings as part of sacred-place narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse defines a dharmic office (Lokapāla) rather than prescribing a rite.