Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मांडभ्रमणश्रांत स्वगंधत्रस्तसंचराः । मनोजवाः कामगमा क्षेत्रपाला जयंति ते

Transliteration

brahmāṃḍabhramaṇaśrāṃta svagaṃdhatrastasaṃcarāḥ | manojavāḥ kāmagamā kṣetrapālā jayaṃti te

Translation

เหล่าผู้พิทักษ์เขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์ผู้ชนะนั้น เหนื่อยล้าจากการท่องเวียนทั่วจักรวาล เคลื่อนไหวไปพร้อมกลิ่นของตนที่น่าเกรงขาม รวดเร็วประหนึ่งใจ และไปได้ตามปรารถนา

Word by Word

• ब्रह्माण्डभ्रमणश्रान्ताः: wearied by roaming the universe
• ब्रह्माण्डभ्रमणश्रान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + भ्रमण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + श्रान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘क्षेत्रपालाः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• स्वगन्धत्रस्तसंचराः: whose movements are frightened by their own scent
• स्वगन्धत्रस्तसंचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रस्त (कृदन्त) + सञ्चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘क्षेत्रपालाः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• मनोजवाः: swift as the mind
• मनोजवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + जव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘क्षेत्रपालाः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• कामगमाः: moving at will
• कामगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + गम (धातु) → गम (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘क्षेत्रपालाः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• क्षेत्रपालाः: guardians of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• जयन्ति: are victorious / triumph
• जयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम—‘क्षेत्रपालाः’ इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति/अन्वय

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two or more formidable kṣetrapālas stride across a starry cosmic map, weary from endless patrol; a visible aura—like smoky fragrance—surrounds them, causing lesser beings to recoil; their movement is instantaneous, like thought.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are safeguarded by powerful unseen protectors, reminding pilgrims to approach with reverence and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, under the protection of formidable kṣetrapālas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse emphasizes the protective potency surrounding the kṣetra.