Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

गुह्याद्गुह्यतमं तीर्थं न भूतं न भविष्यति । शूलपाणिः समभ्यर्च्य इन्द्राद्यैरप्सरोगणैः

Transliteration

guhyādguhyatamaṃ tīrthaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati | śūlapāṇiḥ samabhyarcya indrādyairapsarogaṇaiḥ

Translation

More secret than the secret, this tīrtha has neither existed before nor will it exist again. There Śūlapāṇi (Śiva) is duly worshipped by Indra and the hosts of Apsarases and others.

Word by Word

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Ablative of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनम्; तुलना-प्रयोगः (than secret)

• गुह्यतमम्: most secret
• गुह्यतमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम्; अतिशय-विशेषणम् (superlative)

• तीर्थम्: sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• भूतम्: (has) been
• भूतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: भू (धातु) + क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; 'been/occurred'

• न: nor
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• भविष्यति: will be, will occur
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शूलपाणिः: Śiva (the one with a trident in hand)
• शूलपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; समासः—शूलः पाणौ यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहिः)

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund); 'having duly worshipped'

• इन्द्राद्यैः: by Indra and others
• इन्द्राद्यैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचनम्; समासः—इन्द्रः आदिः येषां ते (तत्पुरुषः/समाहारः: 'Indra and others')

• अप्सरोगणैः: by the groups of apsarases
• अप्सरोगणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचनम्; समासः—अप्सरसां गणाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Deductively: Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhyatama-tīrtha of Revā-khaṇḍa (Śūlapāṇi-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded forested river-cove or cave-like bank; Śiva as Śūlapāṇi is worshipped by Indra and apsarases—Indra with vajra and crown, apsarases offering flowers, lamps, and dance; the atmosphere is secret, twilight-luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• Indra
• Apsarogaṇa (Apsarases)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates certain sacred places as uniquely potent—where even the gods worship Śiva—underscoring the incomparable sanctity of that tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A highly esoteric/hidden tīrtha in Revā Khaṇḍa, presented as unparalleled in past and future.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Śiva/Śūlapāṇi is highlighted, performed even by Indra and celestial attendants.