Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

रक्षणार्थं ह वै तेषां नियुक्तो विघ्ननायकः । कालाग्निरुद्रपार्श्वे तु रुद्रतुल्यपराक्रमः

Transliteration

rakṣaṇārthaṃ ha vai teṣāṃ niyukto vighnanāyakaḥ | kālāgnirudrapārśve tu rudratulyaparākramaḥ

Translation

നിശ്ചയമായും, അവരുടെ (ദുഷ്ടരുടെ) വിരുദ്ധം രക്ഷാർത്ഥം വിഘ്നനായകൻ നിയോഗിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; കൂടാതെ കാലാഗ്നിരുദ്രന്റെ പാർശ്വത്ത് രുദ്രസമമായ പരാക്രമമുള്ള ഒരാൾ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• रक्षणार्थम्: for the purpose of protection
• रक्षणार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षणस्य अर्थः)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थे स्मरण/खलु-भावः

• वै: certainly
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• नियुक्तः: appointed
• नियुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु) → नियुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘appointed’

• विघ्ननायकः: the leader of obstacles (Vighnanāyaka)
• विघ्ननायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विघ्नानां नायकः)

• कालाग्निरुद्रपार्श्वे: at the side of Kālāgnirudra
• कालाग्निरुद्रपार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला) ‘कालाग्निरुद्रस्य पार्श्वे’

• तु: but/and indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• रुद्रतुल्यपराक्रमः: having valor equal to Rudra
• रुद्रतुल्यपराक्रमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘रुद्रतुल्यः पराक्रमो यस्य सः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vighnanāyaka is stationed as a guardian against offenders; near Kālāgnirudra stands a Rudra-equal warrior-like divine presence, radiating fierce protective energy.

Characters & Entities

• Vighnanāyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Kālāgnirudra
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are not merely geographic—they are protected by divine powers that restrain destructive conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose sanctity is upheld by Vighnanāyaka and Rudra-associated guardians.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse provides a protective theology that supports worship/invocation of Gaṇeśa and Rudra in the kṣetra.