Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततो मया द्विजैः सार्धं शालाग्रे स्थानरक्षणम् । स्थापिताश्च पृथग्देवास्त्रयस्त्रिभुवनेश्वराः

Transliteration

tato mayā dvijaiḥ sārdhaṃ śālāgre sthānarakṣaṇam | sthāpitāśca pṛthagdevāstrayastribhuvaneśvarāḥ

Translation

其后，我与诸婆罗门一道，在殿堂（śālā）之前建立圣域之护卫；并且在彼处，三位三界之主亦各自分立而安置受供。

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• द्विजैः: with the twice-born
• द्विजैः: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: सहवाचक-अव्यय (with/together)

• शालाग्रे: at the front of the hall
• शालाग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālā (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (शालायाः अग्रे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• स्थानरक्षणम्: protection of the place
• स्थानरक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣaṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्थानस्य रक्षणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्थापिताः: were stationed/placed
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग) + pita (क्त) → sthāpita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘स्थापिताः’ = ‘स्थापितवन्तः/स्थापिताः (were stationed)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: भेदवाचक-अव्यय (separately)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• त्रिभुवनेश्वराः: lords of the three worlds
• त्रिभुवनेश्वराः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या) + bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रिभुवनस्य ईश्वराः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing Nārada (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker, accompanied by brāhmaṇas, establishes a protective arrangement at the hall-front and installs three separate deities—lords of the three worlds—within the precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Tribhuvaneśvara (three world-lords)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are preserved through communal dharma—especially with brāhmaṇas—by establishing protective rites and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sanctified “sthāna” and its ritual boundary (śālāgra) but does not name the tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing “sthānarakṣaṇam” and installing the three deities (distinctly) as guardians of the sacred precinct.