Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रपालो वसेत्तत्र ढौण्ढेशो नाम नामतः । तस्य चाराधनं कृत्वा नारी वा पुरुषोऽपि वा

Transliteration

kṣetrapālo vasettatra ḍhauṇḍheśo nāma nāmataḥ | tasya cārādhanaṃ kṛtvā nārī vā puruṣo'pi vā

Translation

ณ ที่นั้นมีผู้พิทักษ์เขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (เกษตรปาละ) สถิตอยู่ มีนามว่า ฑเณฺฑเษะ (Ḍhauṇḍheśa) โดยนาม ครั้นบูชาท่านแล้ว ไม่ว่าหญิงหรือชาย—

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रपालः: the guardian of the field/region
• क्षेत्रपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘क्षेत्रस्य पालः’)

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• ढौण्ढेशः: Ḍhauṇḍheśa (name)
• ढौण्ढेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ढौण्ढ + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नाम)

• नाम: named, called
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक निपात (particle meaning ‘called/namely’)

• नामतः: by name, in name
• नामतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• आराधनम्: worship, propitiation
• आराधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-√राध् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भाववाचक संज्ञा (verbal noun)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurkurī-tīrtha (kṣetra with Ḍhauṇḍheśa-kṣetrapāla)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the entrance to a riverbank sacred precinct stands Ḍhauṇḍheśa, a fierce yet protective Śaiva guardian (kṣetrapāla), receiving offerings from pilgrims before they proceed inward.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapāla
• Ḍhauṇḍheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are protected by kṣetrapālas; honoring the guardian is part of proper dharmic approach to a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurkurī-tīrtha, specifically its resident kṣetrapāla named Ḍhauṇḍheśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (worship/propitiation) of the kṣetrapāla Ḍhauṇḍheśa, open to both women and men.