Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रपालाः स्थिताश्चैव यथास्थाने निरूपिताः । इति वः क्षेत्रपालानां सृष्टिः प्रोक्ता समासतः

Transliteration

kṣetrapālāḥ sthitāścaiva yathāsthāne nirūpitāḥ | iti vaḥ kṣetrapālānāṃ sṛṣṭiḥ proktā samāsataḥ

Translation

ดังนี้แล เหล่าเกษตรปาละ (ผู้พิทักษ์เขต) จึงถูกตั้งไว้ตามที่ของตน แต่ละตนได้รับแต่งตั้งในสถานอันเหมาะสม ฉะนี้การอุบัติแห่งเกษตรปาละทั้งหลายได้กล่าวแก่ท่านโดยสังเขปแล้ว

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रपालाः: field-guardians (kṣetrapālas)
• क्षेत्रपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-पाल (प्रातिपदिक; क्षेत्र + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• स्थिताः: stood/placed
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• यथास्थाने: in their respective places
• यथास्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक; यथा + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• निरूपिताः: were appointed/assigned
• निरूपिताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√रूप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• वः: of you / for you
• वः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन (plural); enclitic pronoun

• क्षेत्रपालानाम्: of the kṣetrapālas
• क्षेत्रपालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-पाल (प्रातिपदिक; क्षेत्र + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• सृष्टिः: creation, origination
• सृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रोक्ता: has been told/declared
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन

• समासतः: briefly, in summary
• समासतः: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समासतः (अव्यय; समास + तस्)
• Form: प्रकार/रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in brief)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetrapāla system (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding tableau: the guardians stand stationed at their appointed places—some celestial, some subterranean, some earthly—forming an invisible protective lattice around sacred spaces.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred spaces are not merely physical; they are ritually guarded and ordered, emphasizing reverence and disciplined conduct at holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes a general arrangement of guardians across sacred locales.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A contextual prescription: recognize and honor the appointed guardians (Kṣetrapālas) when approaching or worshiping at sacred sites.