Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

गुप्तक्षेत्रे मयैवाऽसौ नियुक्तो देव्यनुस्मृतौ । पूर्वं दत्तं वरं स्वीयं स्मरता देवसंसदि

Transliteration

guptakṣetre mayaivā'sau niyukto devyanusmṛtau | pūrvaṃ dattaṃ varaṃ svīyaṃ smaratā devasaṃsadi

Translation

„Im geheimen heiligen Gebiet, Guptakṣetra, habe ich selbst ihn für das Gedenken an die Göttin eingesetzt. Indem er sich an seine eigene, einst in der Versammlung der Götter gewährte Gabe erinnerte, handelte er danach.“

Word by Word

• gupta-kṣetre: in the secret place/field
• gupta-kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त, √gup) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• niyuktaḥ: appointed/assigned
• niyuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyukta (कृदन्त, √yuj with ni-, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• devy-anusmṛtau: in the goddess’s remembrance/recitation
• devy-anusmṛtau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक) + anusmṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘देव्याः अनुस्मृतिः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त, √dā, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• varam: boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• svīyam: one’s own
• svīyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘varam’)

• smaratā: by (him) remembering
• smaratā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smarat (कृदन्त, √smṛ, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle)

• deva-saṃsadi: in the assembly of the gods
• deva-saṃsadi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘देवानां संसत्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a hidden sacred grove/clearing marked by subtle śākta emblems, a divine figure indicates an appointed devotee, while the atmosphere suggests secrecy and sanctified remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Devī
• Guptakṣetra
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of the Goddess (devī-smaraṇa) and honoring divine boons are portrayed as forces that shape destiny within sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is indicated as a ‘hidden’ sacred region; the verse highlights its sanctity as a place connected with Devī’s remembrance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī-anusmṛti (remembrance/mental worship of the Goddess) is implied as the devotional practice.