Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स्थितो नारायणस्तत्र भैरवस्तत्र शंकरः । क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण कालमेघेति विश्रुतः

Transliteration

sthito nārāyaṇastatra bhairavastatra śaṃkaraḥ | kṣetrapālasvarūpeṇa kālamegheti viśrutaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ നാരായണൻ വസിക്കുന്നു; അവിടെയേ ശങ്കരൻ ഭൈരവസ്വരൂപനായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. ക്ഷേത്രപാലസ്വരൂപത്തിൽ ‘കാലമേഘ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ.

Word by Word

• स्थितः: is stationed / stands
• स्थितः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle, stative); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्

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

• भैरवः: Bhairava
• भैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्

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

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्

• क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण: in the form of the kṣetrapāla
• क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण: Karaṇa/Prakāra (Instrumental of manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd case); एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रपालस्य स्वरूपम्) — करण/प्रकारवाचक (in the form of the guardian of the field)

• कालमेघ: Kālamegha (name)
• कालमेघ: Saṃjñā (Appellation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + मेघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (कालः इव मेघः/कालस्य मेघः) — नामरूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देश/उद्धरणसूचक (thus called)

• विश्रुतः: is renowned
• विश्रुतः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनम्; प्रसिद्धार्थक (renowned)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa kṣetra with Kālamegha-kṣetrapāla

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the Prabhāsa precinct, Nārāyaṇa is envisioned as a serene indwelling presence, while Śaṅkara appears as Bhairava—dark, cloud-like (Kālamegha), vigilant as kṣetrapāla at the threshold of the sacred field.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Śaṅkara
• Bhairava
• Kṣetrapāla
• Kālamegha
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy kṣetra is protected and empowered by divine presence—Viṣṇu as indwelling Lord and Śiva as Kṣetrapāla—showing harmony of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically a locale where Nārāyaṇa is present and Śaṅkara-Bhairava is worshiped as Kālamegha Kṣetrapāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite here; it identifies the deities to be revered at the site, especially the Kṣetrapāla form Kālamegha.