Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गुह्यानां परमं गुह्यं क्षेत्रेऽस्मिश्चिंतितप्रदम् । कलौ कलुषबुद्धीनां गोपनीयं प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

guhyānāṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ kṣetre'smiściṃtitapradam | kalau kaluṣabuddhīnāṃ gopanīyaṃ prayatnataḥ

Translation

هذا هو السرّ الأقصى بين الأسرار في هذا الحقل المقدّس (كاشي)، وهو مُعطي المُتمنّى. لذلك، في عصر كالي، بين ذوي العقول الملوَّثة، ينبغي أن يُصان ويُكتم بعنايةٍ واجتهاد.

Word by Word

• गुह्यानाम्: of secrets
• गुह्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• गुह्यम्: secret (thing)
• गुह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular), त्रिलिङ्ग (Pronoun)

• चिन्तितप्रदम्: granting what is desired/thought of
• चिन्तितप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्तित (कृदन्त; √चिन्त् धातु) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: of those with impure intellects
• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलुष (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine; बुद्धि)

• गोपनीयम्: to be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपनीय (कृदन्त; √गुप् धातु, भाव्य/अनियत-कर्तरि-णीयत्)
• Form: णीयत्-प्रत्ययान्त; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थे (ablatival adverb: 'from/with effort')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Gaurī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (as narrator) intimates to Pārvatī that Kāśī holds a supreme secret that grants desired boons, but must be guarded in Kali-yuga; the atmosphere is hushed, lamp-lit, and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Avimukta Kṣetra)
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest sacred truths about Kāśī are powerful and wish-fulfilling, and must be approached with purity and discretion, especially in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī Kṣetra—also known as Avimukta, the never-abandoned sacred field of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes guarding and preserving a sacred secret (rahasya) with care.