Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

लोकपालैश्च दिक्पालैर्मातृभिः शिवशक्तिभिः । गंधर्वैश्वाप्सरोभिश्च सेवितं यज्ञकर्मभिः

Transliteration

lokapālaiśca dikpālairmātṛbhiḥ śivaśaktibhiḥ | gaṃdharvaiśvāpsarobhiśca sevitaṃ yajñakarmabhiḥ

Translation

అది లోకపాలులు, దిక్పాలులు, మాతృగణములు, శివశక్తులు, గంధర్వులు మరియు అప్సరసలు చేత సేవింపబడును; అక్కడ యజ్ఞకర్మలు మరియు పవిత్ర కృత్యముల ద్వారా గౌరవింపబడును।

Word by Word

• loka-pālaiḥ: by the guardians of the worlds
• loka-pālaiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘लोकस्य पालाः’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• dik-pālaiḥ: by the guardians of the directions
• dik-pālaiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘दिशां पालाः’

• mātṛbhiḥ: by the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātṛbhiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• śiva-śaktibhiḥ: by the powers of Śiva
• śiva-śaktibhiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘शिवस्य शक्तयः’

• gandharvaiḥ: by Gandharvas
• gandharvaiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• apsarobhiḥ: by Apsarases
• apsarobhiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• sevitam: served
• sevitam: Kriya-visheshana (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु) → sevita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate

• yajña-karmabhiḥ: by sacrificial rites
• yajña-karmabhiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘यज्ञस्य कर्माणि’

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya/Ūṣara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant sacred grove filled with guardians of directions, fierce yet protective Mātṛs with Śiva-śaktis, and celestial musicians/dancers; in the center, a yajña is being performed, smoke rising in orderly spirals.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapālas
• Dikpālas
• Mātṛs (Mātṛkās)
• Śiva-śaktis
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown by the presence of cosmic guardians and Śaiva powers, and by the sanctifying force of yajña and dharmic acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya (and its sacred precinct), portrayed as a place of divine attendance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña-karmas—sacrificial and sacred ritual acts—are indicated as modes of honouring the place.