Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

चत्वरेषु च सर्वेषु क्षेत्र मध्यस्थिता सती । रात्रौ पर्यटते देवी भूतानां कोटिभिर्वृता

Transliteration

catvareṣu ca sarveṣu kṣetra madhyasthitā satī | rātrau paryaṭate devī bhūtānāṃ koṭibhirvṛtā

Translation

എല്ലാ ചത്വരങ്ങളിലും ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യഭാഗത്തും സ്ഥാപിതയായ ആ സതീദേവി രാത്രിയിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു; കോടി കോടി ഭൂതഗണങ്ങൾ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चत्वरेषु: in the squares/crossroads
• चत्वरेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत্বর (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षेत्र: field/sacred precinct
• क्षेत्र: Sambandha (Genitival relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (in compound)

• मध्यस्थिता: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थिता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्था-धातु → स्थित, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः (मध्येषु स्थिता)

• सती: the virtuous one
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (virtuous woman/being)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पर्यटते: wanders about
• पर्यटते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अट् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूतानाम्: of beings/spirits
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• कोटिभिः: by crores
• कोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• वृता: surrounded
• वृता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (surrounded)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catvarā-devī (Kṣetra-dūtī) at Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the heart of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the Devī stands as the central presence yet appears at every crossroads; by night she moves through the lanes, encircled by innumerable bhūtas—some fearsome, some protective—holding lamps, tridents, drums, and banners, while the sacred field glows with an unseen boundary-light.

Characters & Entities

• Catvara (crossroads)
• Devī (Kṣetra-dūtī/Catvarā-devī context)
• Bhūtas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is safeguarded continuously; devotees should cultivate respect, restraint, and purity within holy boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s crossroads (catvaras) and its central guardian goddess.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it describes the protective activity of the Devī.