Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अर्चयेद्धरसिद्धिं च क्षेत्रपालं च सर्वशः । विरूपस्वामिनीं तत्र तथा वै सप्तमातरः

Transliteration

arcayeddharasiddhiṃ ca kṣetrapālaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | virūpasvāminīṃ tatra tathā vai saptamātaraḥ

Translation

当以阿尔恰那（arcanā）礼敬陀罗悉地（Dharasiddhi），并以诸般方式礼供护域神（Kṣetrapāla）；亦于彼处礼敬毗卢帕斯瓦弥尼（Virūpasvāminī）及七母神。

Word by Word

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (अर्च पूजायाम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (vidhiliṅ, 3rd person sg.)

• dharasiddhim: Dharasiddhi (name of a deity/power)
• dharasiddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhara + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (धरसिद्धिः—नाम) (fem. acc. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• kṣetrapālam: guardian of the sacred place
• kṣetrapālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kṣetrasya pālaḥ) (masc. acc. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• sarvaśaḥ: in every way
• sarvaśaḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/सम्पूर्णतावाचक (indeclinable adverb; ‘in every way/entirely’)

• virūpasvāminīm: Virūpasvāminī (name/title)
• virūpasvāminīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virūpa + svāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘विरूपा स्वामिनी’ (fem. acc. sg.)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa/Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb of place)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable; ‘also/likewise’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; (here used as numeral qualifier)

• mātaraḥ: the Mothers (Mātṛkās)
• mātaraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (fem. nom. pl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from enumerative ritual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā pīṭha with Kṣetrapāla and Mātṛkās

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple precinct: at the entrance stands Kṣetrapāla (guardian), inside are niches for Sapta-mātṛkās; the worshipper offers lamps and flowers to Dharasiddhi and Virūpasvāminī, moving clockwise through the sanctified circuit.

Characters & Entities

• Dharasiddhi
• Kṣetrapāla
• Virūpasvāminī
• Saptamātṛkāḥ (Seven Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are protected and empowered by guardian deities and mother-goddess forces; honoring them sustains dharma and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred area, where Kṣetrapāla and pīṭha-associated deities are ritually acknowledged.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Comprehensive worship (sarvaśaḥ) of Dharasiddhi, Kṣetrapāla, Virūpasvāminī, and the Seven Mothers.