Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मृगीकुंडं च तत्रैव कालमेघस्तथैव च । क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण महोदधि स्वयं स्थितः । दामोदरश्च तत्रैव भवो ब्रह्माडनायकः

Transliteration

mṛgīkuṃḍaṃ ca tatraiva kālameghastathaiva ca | kṣetrapālasvarūpeṇa mahodadhi svayaṃ sthitaḥ | dāmodaraśca tatraiva bhavo brahmāḍanāyakaḥ

Translation

അവിടെയേ മൃഗീകുണ്ഡവും കാലമേഘവും ഉണ്ട്; മഹാസമുദ്രം തന്നേ ക്ഷേത്രപാലസ്വരൂപമായി അവിടെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു। അവിടെയേ ദാമോദരനും ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡനായകനായ ഭവനും വസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• मृगीकुण्डम्: Mṛgī-kuṇḍa (a sacred pond)
• मृगीकुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगीकुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृगी + कुण्ड)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/and)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis: indeed/just)

• कालमेघः: Kālamegha (dark cloud-like one; a name)
• कालमेघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालमेघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (कालः इव मेघः)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण: in the form of the guardian of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रपालस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रपाल + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रपालस्य स्वरूपम्)

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (महान् उदधिः)

• स्वयम्: himself/by himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable: oneself/by oneself)

• स्थितः: stood/abided
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Sing.)

• दामोदरः: Dāmodara (name of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• दामोदरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); बहुव्रीहिः (दाम उदरे यस्य सः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed)

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• ब्रह्माण्डनायकः: lord of the universe (cosmic egg)
• ब्रह्माण्डनायकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य नायकः)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the tīrtha-description to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛgī-kuṇḍa; Kāla-megha; Mahodadhi-kṣetrapāla; Dāmodara-sthāna; Bhava-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred field: a serene kuṇḍa named Mṛgī with deer nearby; a dramatic dark cloud mass labeled Kāla-megha; at the shoreline the ocean rises anthropomorphically as a protective kṣetrapāla with staff and fierce yet benevolent gaze; nearby shrines to Dāmodara (Vishnu) and Bhava (Shiva) stand facing the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgī Kuṇḍa
• Kāla-megha
• Kṣetrapāla
• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)
• Dāmodara
• Bhava (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true kṣetra integrates protective divinity (Kṣetrapāla) and universal sanctity, where Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava presences coexist in one sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra’s named tīrthas—Mṛgī Kuṇḍa and Kāla-megha—and the locale where Mahodadhi is revered as Kṣetrapāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given in this verse; it catalogs sacred presences that pilgrims traditionally honor through darśana, snāna (at kuṇḍas), and offerings.