Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रदूतीं महारौद्रीं रुद्रशक्तिं महाप्रभाम् । क्षेत्ररक्षाविधौ तत्र मया मुक्तां तु मध्यतः

Transliteration

kṣetradūtīṃ mahāraudrīṃ rudraśaktiṃ mahāprabhām | kṣetrarakṣāvidhau tatra mayā muktāṃ tu madhyataḥ

Translation

“นางคือเกษตรทูตี มหาราวทรี—เป็นศักติแห่งพระรุทระ ผู้รุ่งเรืองยิ่ง เพื่อการคุ้มครองแดนศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น เราได้ตั้งนางไว้ ณ ที่กลางแห่งเกษตรนั้น”

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रदूतीम्: the messenger/attendant of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रदूतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य दूती)

• महारौद्रीम्: very fierce
• महारौद्रीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + रौद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती रौद्री)

• रुद्रशक्तिम्: Rudra’s power/energy
• रुद्रशक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य शक्ति)

• महाप्रभाम्: of great radiance
• महाप्रभाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती प्रभा यस्याः)

• क्षेत्ररक्षाविधौ: in the rite/procedure of protecting the field
• क्षेत्ररक्षाविधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + रक्षा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षेत्रस्य रक्षायाः विधिः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• मुक्ताम्: released/let loose
• मुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrast particle)

• मध्यतः: from the middle
• मध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetra-dūtī / Mahāraudrī (kṣetra-rakṣikā of Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable goddess—Kṣetra-dūtī/Mahāraudrī—radiant, armed, surrounded by bhūta-gaṇas; Śiva’s gesture of installation (sthāpanā) in the kṣetra’s center.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra-dūtī
• Rudra
• Śakti
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are protected by divine powers; reverence toward the kṣetra includes honoring its guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically its central protective goddess, Kṣetra-dūtī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it explains the divine appointment of a guardian for kṣetra-rakṣā.