Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गुप्तक्षेत्राय भगवान्बर्बरीकं समादिशत् । सोऽथ कृष्णं नमस्कृत्य पितरं यादवांश्च तान्

Transliteration

guptakṣetrāya bhagavānbarbarīkaṃ samādiśat | so'tha kṛṣṇaṃ namaskṛtya pitaraṃ yādavāṃśca tān

Translation

Then the Lord instructed Barbarīka to proceed to Guptakṣetra. Thereupon he bowed in reverence to Kṛṣṇa, to his father, and to those Yādavas.

Word by Word

• गुप्तक्षेत्राय: to (the one called) Guptakṣetra / to the hidden field-place
• गुप्तक्षेत्राय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/To)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘गुप्तं क्षेत्रम्’)

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• बर्बरीकम्: Barbarīka
• बर्बरीकम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समादिशत्: commanded/ordered
• समादिशत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (conjunctive/adverb: then)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: कर्म (Object of salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-कृ (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having saluted)

• पितरम्: (his) father
• पितरम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यादवान्: the Yādavas
• यादवान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तान्: those (people)
• तान्: कर्म (Object; apposition to yādavān)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa, as commanding Lord, gestures toward the path to Guptakṣetra; Barbarīka stands with folded hands, then bows to Kṛṣṇa, his father, and the assembled Yādavas.

Characters & Entities

• Guptakṣetra
• Bhagavān (Kṛṣṇa)
• Barbarīka
• Kṛṣṇa
• Yādavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to divine instruction and respectful salutations to elders and community are upheld as dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is explicitly named as the sacred destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (yātrā) is implied—being directed to go to Guptakṣetra.