Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71
भैरवाः क्षेत्रपालाश्च येऽन्ये च क्षेत्रवासिनः । श्मशानवासिनश्चान्ये येऽन्ये न्यग्रोधवासिनः
bhairavāḥ kṣetrapālāśca ye'nye ca kṣetravāsinaḥ | śmaśānavāsinaścānye ye'nye nyagrodhavāsinaḥ
Para Bhairava dan para penjaga kawasan suci (kṣetrapāla), serta penghuni setempat yang lain—mereka yang tinggal di tanah pembakaran mayat, dan yang lain yang berdiam di bawah pokok beringin (nyagrodha)—
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)
Tirtha: Kedārakṣetra (guardian precincts)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ring of Bhairavas and kṣetrapālas stands at the edges of Kedāra’s sacred precinct; some figures dwell near a cremation-ground boundary, others beneath massive banyan canopies, all portrayed as protective presences watching over pilgrims and shrines.
FAQs
Śaiva sacred space includes fierce protectors and liminal beings; holiness embraces both auspicious and terrifying guardianship.
The verse reflects the Śaiva kṣetra (sacred precinct) environment typical of Kedāra-region sanctuaries.
None; it enumerates categories of beings associated with the sacred field and its guardians.