Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

शतकोटिगणैश्चापि पूर्वद्वारि तु संवृतः । अट्टहासो गणो नाम प्रभासं तत्र रक्षति

Transliteration

śatakoṭigaṇaiścāpi pūrvadvāri tu saṃvṛtaḥ | aṭṭahāso gaṇo nāma prabhāsaṃ tatra rakṣati

Translation

Sa silangang tarangkahan, na napaliligiran ng sandaang koṭi ng mga Gaṇa, naroon ang Gaṇa na nagngangalang Aṭṭahāsa, nakatindig at nagbabantay sa Prabhāsa.

Word by Word

• शत-कोटि-गणैः: by gaṇas numbering a hundred crores
• शत-कोटि-गणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वक-निर्देश) ‘by gaṇas (numbering) a hundred crores’

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• पूर्व-द्वारि: at the eastern gate
• पूर्व-द्वारि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘पूर्वं द्वारम्’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• संवृतः: is surrounded
• संवृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√वृ (धातु) → संवृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘enclosed/surrounded’

• अट्टहासः: Aṭṭahāsa (name of a gaṇa)
• अट्टहासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट्टहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गणविशेष-नाम

• गणः: a gaṇa
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; नामनिर्देशार्थ (called/named)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (pūrvadvāra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the eastern gate of Prabhāsa, an immense host of gaṇas forms a living wall; the named gaṇa Aṭṭahāsa stands prominent, fierce yet auspicious, as dawn light falls from the east.

Characters & Entities

• Aṭṭahāsa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is ritually and cosmically ordered—directions and gateways are protected by appointed divine powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, especially its eastern entrance (pūrva-dvāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it identifies the guardian and the eastern gate’s protection.