Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । पुरातनामत्र कथां गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य कारणे । शृणु पांडव शापेन गुप्तमासीदिदं यथा

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | purātanāmatra kathāṃ guptakṣetrasya kāraṇe | śṛṇu pāṃḍava śāpena guptamāsīdidaṃ yathā

Translation

Nārada said: Here is an ancient account explaining the cause of this hidden sacred region. Listen, O Pāṇḍava—how it became concealed due to a curse.

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• purātanām: ancient
• purātanām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (to kathām)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• kathām: story
• kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• guptakṣetrasya: of the hidden sacred place
• guptakṣetrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta-kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kāraṇe: regarding the cause
• kāraṇe: Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pāṃḍava: O Pāṇḍava
• pāṃḍava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṃḍava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन

• śāpena: by a curse
• śāpena: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• guptam: hidden
• guptam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √gup)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yathā: how, in what way
• yathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (adverb/conjunction: 'as/how')

Speaker

Nārada

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• Guptakṣetra
• Śāpa (curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography often includes moral causality: a place’s concealment or revelation can hinge on dharma, adharma, and the force of a curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Guptakṣetra whose greatness is about to be explained through an ancient narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an invitation to hear the explanatory kathā (narrative).