Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रं रक्षति देवेशि पापिष्ठानां नियामकः । म्रियंते यदि ब्रह्मघ्नास्तथा पातकिनो नराः

Transliteration

kṣetraṃ rakṣati deveśi pāpiṣṭhānāṃ niyāmakaḥ | mriyaṃte yadi brahmaghnāstathā pātakino narāḥ

Translation

ହେ ଦେବେଶୀ, ପାପିଷ୍ଠମାନଙ୍କୁ ନିୟମନ କରୁଥିବା ଜଣେ ଏହି କ୍ଷେତ୍ରକୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରନ୍ତି। ଯଦି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣହନ୍ତା ଓ ଅନ୍ୟ ପାତକୀ ନରମାନେ (ଏଠାରେ) ମରନ୍ତି, ତେବେ—

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवेशि: O goddess (Deveśī)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पापिष्ठानाम्: of the most sinful
• पापिष्ठानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + इष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; अतिशय-तमतम (superlative)

• नियामकः: the restrainer/controller
• नियामकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु) → नियामक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• म्रियन्ते: die
• म्रियन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Logical connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• ब्रह्मघ्नाः: brahmin-slayers
• ब्रह्मघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; हन् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘ब्रह्मणः घ्नाः’ (slayers of a brāhmaṇa)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Logical connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पातकिनः: sinners
• पातकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as Deveśi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī is addressed: the kṣetra is guarded by a controller of sinners; the verse turns toward the theme of what happens if brahma-slayers and other sinners die within the sacred field.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implied)
• Brahmaghna (brāhmaṇa-slayer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s sanctity is actively maintained; even the gravely sinful are subject to divine regulation in relation to holy space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as being protected by a divine regulator of sinners.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces the topic of what fate befalls grave sinners connected with the kṣetra.