Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

महाबलस्तु चण्डीशो घंटाकर्णस्तु गोमुखः । विनायको महानादः काकवक्त्रः शुभेक्षणः । एकाक्षो दुन्दुभिश्चंडस्तालजंघस्तथैव च

Transliteration

mahābalastu caṇḍīśo ghaṃṭākarṇastu gomukhaḥ | vināyako mahānādaḥ kākavaktraḥ śubhekṣaṇaḥ | ekākṣo dundubhiścaṃḍastālajaṃghastathaiva ca

Translation

ପ୍ରଭାସରେ ଶିବଙ୍କ ମହାବଳୀ ଗଣମାନେ ଅଛନ୍ତି—ମହାବଳ ଓ ଚଣ୍ଡୀଶ; ଘଣ୍ଟାକର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଓ ଗୋମୁଖ; ବିନାୟକ ଓ ମହାନାଦ; କାକବକ୍ତ୍ର ଓ ଶୁଭେକ୍ଷଣ; ଏବଂ ଏକାକ୍ଷ, ଦୁନ୍ଦୁଭି, ଉଗ୍ର ଚଣ୍ଡ, ତାଳଜଂଘ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• महाबलः: Mahābala (proper name)
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject (name in list)/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (great-strong)

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

• चण्डीशः: Caṇḍīśa
• चण्डीशः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डी + ईश (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (lord of Caṇḍī)

• घण्टाकर्णः: Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घण्टाकर्णः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—घण्टे इव कर्णौ यस्य (bell-eared)

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

• गोमुखः: Gomukha
• गोमुखः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + मुख (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—गोमुखं यस्य (cow-faced)

• विनायकः: Vināyaka
• विनायकः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• महानादः: Mahānāda
• महानादः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + नाद (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great-sounding)

• काकवक्त्रः: Kākavaktra
• काकवक्त्रः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—काकवक्त्रं यस्य (crow-faced)

• शुभेक्षणः: Śubhekṣaṇa
• शुभेक्षणः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—शुभम् ईक्षणं यस्य (auspicious-eyed)

• एकाक्षः: Ekākṣa
• एकाक्षः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—एकम् अक्षि यस्य (one-eyed)

• दुन्दुभिः: Dundubhi
• दुन्दुभिः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• चण्डः: Caṇḍa
• चण्डः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम

• तालजङ्घः: Tālajaṅgha
• तालजङ्घः: Karta (Name in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल + जङ्घा (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—तालवत् जङ्घे यस्य (having legs like palm-trunks)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devēśī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession-like tableau of gaṇas in Prabhāsa: Mahābala, Caṇḍīśa, Ghaṇṭākarṇa, Gomukha, Vināyaka, Mahānāda, Kākavaktra, Śubhekṣaṇa, Ekākṣa, Dundubhi, Caṇḍa, Tāla-jaṅgha—each with distinct emblems and physiognomy.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍīśa
• Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• Gomukha
• Vināyaka
• Mahānāda
• Kākavaktra
• Śubhekṣaṇa
• Ekākṣa
• Dundubhi
• Caṇḍa
• Tāla-jaṅgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are protected and sanctified by divine attendants of Śiva; entering such a kṣetra is to enter an ordered sacred realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa tīrtha), celebrated as a Śaiva sacred landscape guarded by Gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; the verse primarily lists the Gaṇas associated with the kṣetra.