Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्थानस्य रक्षणार्थाय उपायं कुरु सुव्रत । ततो मया प्रतिज्ञातं करिष्ये स्थान रक्षणम्

Transliteration

sthānasya rakṣaṇārthāya upāyaṃ kuru suvrata | tato mayā pratijñātaṃ kariṣye sthāna rakṣaṇam

Translation

“ఈ పుణ్యస్థాన రక్షణార్థము ఒక ఉపాయం చేయుము, హే సువ్రత।” అప్పుడు నేను ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసితిని—“నేను ఈ స్థానాన్ని రక్షించెదను।”

Word by Word

• sthānasya: of the place
• sthānasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• rakṣaṇārthāya: for the protection
• rakṣaṇārthāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣaṇa-artha (प्रातिपदिक; रक्षण + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (dative of purpose)

• upāyam: a means
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• kuru: do; devise
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• suvrata: O virtuous one
• suvrata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (प्रातिपदिक; सु + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधनम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (then/thereupon)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करण (agent/instrument)

• pratijñātam: a promise (was made)
• pratijñātam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati+jñā (धातु) → pratijñāta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (that which was promised)

• kariṣye: I shall do
• kariṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• sthāna: the place
• sthāna: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of rakṣaṇam as apposition)

• rakṣaṇam: protection
• rakṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration; internal quoted speech present)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of brāhmaṇas requests Nārada to devise protection for the holy place; Nārada responds with a solemn vow gesture (right hand raised), with the sacred precinct visible—boundary markers, a shrine, and a tīrtha pool.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sthāna (sacred place)
• Suvrata (addressed person, unspecified in snippet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding and preserving sacred places is itself a dharmic duty, undertaken through resolve and vowed responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of ‘the place’ within the Śālā-māhātmya narrative; the specific site is Śālā-sthāna in this chapter’s context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective vow/commitment (pratijñā) to undertake sthāna-rakṣaṇa (guardianship of the sacred site).