Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

उत्तानपाद उवाच । इदं तीर्थं महापुण्यं सर्वदेवमयं परम् । गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं स्थानं न दृष्टं न श्रुतं हर

Transliteration

uttānapāda uvāca | idaṃ tīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvadevamayaṃ param | guhyādguhyataraṃ sthānaṃ na dṛṣṭaṃ na śrutaṃ hara

Translation

Uttānapāda said: This tīrtha is immensely meritorious, supreme, and filled with all the gods. O Hara, this place is more secret than secret—never have I seen it, nor even heard of it.

Word by Word

• उत्तानपादः: Uttānapāda
• उत्तानपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तानपाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उत्तान + पाद)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (महा + पुण्य)

• सर्वदेवमयम्: consisting of all gods
• सर्वदेवमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वदेवमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वदेव + मय)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तुलनाबिन्दु (than secret)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: nor/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हर: O Hara (Śiva)
• हर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Uttānapāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (implied by immediate context; explicitly asked next verse)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hara (Śiva/Maheśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Uttānapāda, awestruck, addresses Hara: the tīrtha is portrayed as luminous yet veiled—suggesting a landscape where the divine is present but not easily seen.

Characters & Entities

• Uttānapāda
• Hara (Śiva)
• Tīrtha (Śūlabheda context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before the sacred: even kings acknowledge that the deepest holy places are known through Śiva’s grace and revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘guhyatara’ tīrtha being discussed—carrying forward the Śūlabheda Mahatmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that sets up Śiva’s forthcoming instruction.