Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

पश्चिमद्वारमाश्रित्य स्थितवान्विष्टरो गणः । दण्डपाणिः स्थितस्तत्र देवदेवस्य चोत्तरे

Transliteration

paścimadvāramāśritya sthitavānviṣṭaro gaṇaḥ | daṇḍapāṇiḥ sthitastatra devadevasya cottare

Translation

പടിഞ്ഞാറൻ വാതിലിൽ ‘വിഷ്ടര’ എന്ന ഗണൻ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; അതുപോലെ ദേവദേവന്റെ വടക്കുഭാഗത്ത് അവിടെ ‘ദണ്ഡപാണി’യും സ്ഥിതനാണ്.

Word by Word

• paścima-dvāram: the western gate
• paścima-dvāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (पश्चिमं द्वारम्)

• āśritya: having taken refuge at / having approached
• āśritya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-śri (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having resorted to/approached’

• sthitavān: stood / remained
• sthitavān: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Perfect participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• viṣṭaraḥ: Viṣṭara (name)
• viṣṭaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṭara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• gaṇaḥ: the attendant troop / gaṇa
• gaṇaḥ: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• daṇḍa-pāṇiḥ: Daṇḍapāṇi (staff-in-hand, name)
• daṇḍa-pāṇiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दण्डः पाणौ यस्य/दण्डपाणिः)

• sthitaḥ: stood / was stationed
• sthitaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• devadevasya: of the God of gods
• devadevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• uttare: to the north / on the northern side
• uttare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘in the north/northern side’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (paścima-dvāra; uttara-pradeśa near sanctum)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western gateway with the gaṇa Viṣṭara standing vigilant; nearby, on the northern side of Śiva’s abode, Daṇḍapāṇi holds a staff, embodying protective authority; the setting suggests a sacred mandala with cardinal points.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṭara
• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Deva-deva (Śiva)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred abode is structured with directional guardianship, reflecting cosmic order mirrored in pilgrimage landscapes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with mention of its western gate and the northern side of Deva-deva’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a topographical and devotional description of stationed protectors.