Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

युक्तं कृतमथो नैव सावधानेन सर्वदा । लोकपालाश्च ये सर्वे रक्षंतु सकला दिशः । भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां प्रवेशं राक्षसोद्भवम्

Transliteration

yuktaṃ kṛtamatho naiva sāvadhānena sarvadā | lokapālāśca ye sarve rakṣaṃtu sakalā diśaḥ | bhūtapretapiśācānāṃ praveśaṃ rākṣasodbhavam

Translation

Janganlah sesuatu dilakukan dengan tidak wajar; sentiasalah berjaga-jaga. Semoga semua penjaga alam (Lokapāla) melindungi segenap arah, menghalang kemasukan bhūta, preta dan piśāca—yang timbul daripada kuasa rākṣasa.

Word by Word

• युक्तम्: properly arranged; appropriate
• युक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) — neuter nom/acc sg

• कृतम्: done; made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — done, made (neut. nom/acc sg)

• अथो: and then; moreover
• अथो: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/समुच्चयार्थ-प्रयोग (particle/conjunctive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• सावधानेन: with care; attentively
• सावधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvadhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — instrumental singular; 'with attentiveness/care'

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• लोकपालाः: guardians of the worlds (Lokapālas)
• लोकपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka-pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — nominative plural; समास: लोकस्य पालाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — relative pronoun 'who' (nom pl)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifier)

• रक्षन्तु: may (they) protect
• रक्षन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 'let them protect'

• सकलाः: all; entire
• सकलाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — nominative plural; विशेषण

• दिशः: directions; quarters
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — nom/acc plural; here object of 'protect'

• भूत: ghosts; beings
• भूत: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member); 'spirit/being'

• प्रेत: departed spirits
• प्रेत: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• पिशाचानाम्: of (the) bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas
• पिशाचानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — genitive plural; समास: भूत-प्रेत-पिशाच (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व) + षष्ठी बहुवचन

• प्रवेशम्: entry; intrusion
• प्रवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• राक्षस: demonic; rākṣasa
• राक्षस: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• उद्भवम्: arising from rākṣasas; demonic in origin
• उद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular; समास: राक्षसात् उद्भवः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Brahmā (continued instruction/blessing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated yajña enclosure at a tīrtha: priests mark the four directions; unseen bhūtas/pretas/piśācas are barred at the boundary while the Lokapālas stand guard in their quarters.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapāla (Dikpāla)
• Diś (directions)
• Bhūta
• Preta
• Piśāca
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred work must be guarded by constant attentiveness; purity and protection uphold the spiritual potency of rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is portrayed as a protected sacred zone suitable for major rites; the precise place-name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain continual vigilance, invoke directional guardians (lokapālas), and bar disruptive entities (bhūta, preta, piśāca) from entering the ritual space.