Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कालभीतिगुप्तक्षेत्रगुणाञ्छ्रुत्वाभ्युपाययौ । स्नात्वा ततो महीतोये जप्त्वा मन्त्रांश्च कोटिशः

Transliteration

kālabhītiguptakṣetraguṇāñchrutvābhyupāyayau | snātvā tato mahītoye japtvā mantrāṃśca koṭiśaḥ

Translation

Nachdem Kālabhīti von den Vorzügen des heiligen, verborgenen Kṣetra gehört hatte, begab er sich dorthin. Dann badete er dort im Wasser der Erde (einem natürlichen heiligen Becken) und rezitierte Mantras unzählige Male — bis zu Koṭis.

Word by Word

• कालभीति-गुप्त-क्षेत्र-गुणान्: the qualities of the secret field (of Kālabhīti)
• कालभीति-गुप्त-क्षेत्र-गुणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालभीति (प्रातिपदिक) + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कालभीतेः गुप्तस्य क्षेत्रस्य गुणाः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• अभ्युपाययौ: approached
• अभ्युपाययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + उप + इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘अभ्युपाययौ’ = approached/went near

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘स्नात्वा’ = having bathed

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Desha/Kala-adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from there)

• मही-तोये: in the water (there) on the ground
• मही-तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महेः/महीयाḥ तोये = in the earth-water)

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘जप्त्वा’ = having recited

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

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

• कोटिशः: by crores; millions of times
• कोटिशः: Parimana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (तद्धित)
• Form: शस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb of manner/number): ‘कोटिशः’ = by crores, millions of times

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-kṣetra associated with Kālabhīti (name not explicitly stated beyond ‘gupta-kṣetra’ context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālabhīti arrives at a secluded sacred spot—an earth-fed pool/spring amid forested terrain—bathes, then sits in intense japa, suggesting ‘koṭi’ repetitions; atmosphere of secrecy and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhīti
• Guptakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing a tīrtha’s greatness should lead to disciplined practice—snāna and sustained japa—through which the place’s sanctity becomes personally realized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A “gupta-kṣetra” (hidden sacred site) within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative; the verse emphasizes its concealed yet potent sanctity rather than naming a famous city-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the local sacred water and mantra-japa performed in vast quantity (koṭiśaḥ).