Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यक्षेशः सवितानाम श्यामः पूज्यः प्रयत्नतः । ऐशान्यां दिशि विप्रेन्द्राः स्थिता ये तान्वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

yakṣeśaḥ savitānāma śyāmaḥ pūjyaḥ prayatnataḥ | aiśānyāṃ diśi viprendrāḥ sthitā ye tānvadāmyaham

Translation

ยักษ์เอกะ ผู้มีนามว่าสวิตา และศยามะ—ควรบูชาด้วยความเพียรยิ่ง โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ บัดนี้เราจักกล่าวถึงผู้ที่สถิตอยู่ในทิศอีศาน (ตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ)

Word by Word

• यक्षेशः: lord of the Yakṣas
• यक्षेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘यक्षाणाम् ईशः’

• सविता: Savitā (Sun)
• सविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-marker (सम्बन्ध/नामसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-प्रयोगे ‘called’

• श्यामः: Śyāma
• श्यामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (नामरूपेण)

• पूज्यः: worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘पूजनीय’

• प्रयत्नतः: earnestly
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘with effort/earnestly’

• ऐशान्यां: in the north-eastern
• ऐशान्यां: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐशान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशि इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• दिशि: direction
• दिशि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana/Addressed (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः’ (श्रेष्ठाः)

• स्थिताः: situated
• स्थिताः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे; ‘standing/situated’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वदामि: I tell
• वदामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya direction-wise listing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aiśānya sector (Dvārakā-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim group at the northeastern edge of Dvārakā’s sacred precinct, pausing to worship Yakṣeśa Savitā and Śyāma—depicted as dignified guardian figures with protective weapons and benevolent gaze, with a subtle NE directional marker.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣeśa
• Savitā
• Śyāma
• Aiśānya-diś (northeast)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is protected in every direction; honoring directional guardians supports orderly, dharmic pilgrimage and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, especially its directional (aiśānya/northeast) sacred arrangement of protectors.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Earnest worship (pūjā) is prescribed for Yakṣeśa (Savitā-nāma) and Śyāma.