Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41
अत्रास्य माता त्वं देवि गुप्तक्षेत्रस्यकारणम् । तीर्थयात्रा वृथा तेषां नार्च्चयंतीह त्वां च ये
atrāsya mātā tvaṃ devi guptakṣetrasyakāraṇam | tīrthayātrā vṛthā teṣāṃ nārccayaṃtīha tvāṃ ca ye
Ici, ô Déesse, tu es la Mère même de ce lieu et la cause de ce kṣetra sacré tenu caché. Pour ceux qui ne t’adorent pas ici, les pèlerinages aux lieux saints deviennent sans fruit.
Nārada
Tirtha: Gupta-kṣetra of Kolambā (with Kumāreśa)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pārtha
Scene: Nārada addresses the Devī as the Mother of the place; behind her, the ‘hidden kṣetra’ is suggested by veiled gates or a subtle aura; pilgrims who ignore her are shown walking away with dimmed light, contrasting with worshippers receiving radiance.
FAQs
Pilgrimage bears fruit when it includes devotion to the presiding deity of the kṣetra—mere travel without worship is spiritually hollow.
A “gupta-kṣetra” (hidden sacred region) presided over by the Goddess; the passage frames the site’s sanctity through her motherhood and protection.
Arcana (worship) of the Goddess at the site is implied as the required practice for pilgrimage to be meaningful.