Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

इति प्रोक्तं मया विप्रा गुप्तक्षेत्रं समासतः । सप्तक्रोशप्रमाणं च क्षेत्रस्यास्य पुरा द्विजाः । स्वयंभुवा प्रोक्तमिदं सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदम्

Transliteration

iti proktaṃ mayā viprā guptakṣetraṃ samāsataḥ | saptakrośapramāṇaṃ ca kṣetrasyāsya purā dvijāḥ | svayaṃbhuvā proktamidaṃ sarvakāmārthasiddhidam

Translation

Thus, O brāhmaṇas, I have briefly described the Guptakṣetra. Long ago, O twice-born ones, the extent of this sacred region was declared to be seven krośas. This was taught by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā) and it bestows the fulfillment of all aims and desires.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• proktam: was said
• proktam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे मुख्यवाक्य-क्रियासदृश

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular), उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहुवचन (Vocative/Nominative Plural; address)

• gupta-kṣetram: the hidden sacred field
• gupta-kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त, √gup) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (guptaṃ kṣetram)

• samāsataḥ: briefly
• samāsataḥ: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय, प्रकारे/संक्षेपे (in brief)

• sapta-krośa-pramāṇam: (its) measure of seven krośas
• sapta-krośa-pramāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (संख्या) + krośa (प्रातिपदिक) + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sapta-krośasya pramāṇam = measure of seven krośas)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kṣetrasya: of the field
• kṣetrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहुवचन (Vocative/Nominative Plural; address)

• svayaṃbhuvā: by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• svayaṃbhuvā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• proktam: was said
• proktam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम

• sarva-kāma-artha-siddhi-dam: granting fulfillment of all desires and aims
• sarva-kāma-artha-siddhi-dam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + da (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (sarveṣāṃ kāmānām arthānāṃ ca siddhiṃ dadāti iti)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages/brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ/dvijāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred mandala: seven-krośa circuit marked by shrines, trees, and tīrthas; Skanda (or narrator-sage) instructing assembled brāhmaṇas; Brahmā in a visionary inset indicating ancient proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Guptakṣetra
• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra’s sanctity includes defined sacred geography, and remembering it is said to grant comprehensive life-fulfillment (kāma and artha) aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra, described as a seven-krośa sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it provides the kṣetra’s description and its promised fruit.