Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

जटालोप्यजटालश्च नौमि स्वःक्षेत्रपालकान् । ऋकारो हठकारी च टंकपाणिः खणिस्तथा

Transliteration

jaṭālopyajaṭālaśca naumi svaḥkṣetrapālakān | ṛkāro haṭhakārī ca ṭaṃkapāṇiḥ khaṇistathā

Translation

मी माझ्या क्षेत्रपाल-रक्षकांना नमस्कार करतो—जटाल व अजटाल; ऋकार, हठकारी, टंकपाणी तसेच खणी यांनाही।

Word by Word

• जटालः: Jaṭāla (matted-haired; a name)
• जटालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• अजटालः: Ajaṭāla (not-matted-haired; a name)
• अजटालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + जटाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास (negative descriptive)

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

• नौमि: I bow/I praise
• नौमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वःक्षेत्रपालकान्: the guardians of Svarga’s sacred area / the celestial kṣetrapālas
• स्वःक्षेत्रपालकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वः (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative)

• ऋकारः: Ṛkāra (the syllable/letter ṛ; a name)
• ऋकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हठकारी: doer of force/violence; Haṭhakārī (a name)
• हठकारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हठ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारी (√कृ धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

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

• टंकपाणिः: one with a chisel/axe in hand (Ṭaṅkapāṇi)
• टंकपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: टंक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (one whose hand has a chisel/axe)

• खणिः: Khaṇi (a name; miner/digger)
• खणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थ (also/likewise)

Speaker

The hymn-reciter/devotee (as instructed by Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at the edge of a consecrated circle (maṇḍala) and bows; two contrasting guardians—Jaṭāla (matted hair) and Ajaṭāla (unmatted/contrasting form)—appear as paired sentinels, while other weapon-bearing gaṇas (Ṭaṃkapāṇi with a chisel/hammer-like tool) stand behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapālas
• Jaṭāla
• Ajaṭāla
• Ṛkāra
• Haṭhakārī
• Ṭaṃkapāṇi
• Khaṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection is intimate and local: honoring ‘one’s own’ guardians teaches responsibility, reverence, and dharmic conduct within one’s sacred environment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes local guardianship (sva-kṣetrapāla) rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Salutation and recitation of guardian names as part of the Kṣetrapāla stuti.