Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गुप्त क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं स च ज्ञात्वा महोत्तमम् । योगसंसाधनं कुर्वन्नत्र तेपे तपो महत्

Transliteration

gupta kṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ sa ca jñātvā mahottamam | yogasaṃsādhanaṃ kurvannatra tepe tapo mahat

Translation

Ayant connu la grandeur suprêmement excellente de Guptakṣetra, il entreprit la discipline du yoga et y accomplit une grande austérité.

Word by Word

• गुप्त: hidden, secret
• गुप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; अत्र ‘क्षेत्रस्य’ इति विशेषण (qualifier); अव्यक्त-रूपेण समासपूर्वपद (as pre-member)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, sanctity
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• महोत्तमम्: supremely great
• महोत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘माहात्म्यम्’ इति विशेषण (qualifying)

• योगसंसाधनम्: practice/means of yoga
• योगसंसाधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + संसाधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तेपे: performed austerity
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तपः’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-foremost (Kurūd-vaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama in deep meditation within a secluded sacred grove or cave-like hidden precinct (gupta), surrounded by austerity symbols—deer, kusa grass, water pot—while the atmosphere suggests unseen divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Guptakṣetra
• Gautama (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing a place’s sacred greatness should inspire sādhana; holy geography and personal discipline together ripen spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is directly glorified as a supremely excellent sacred field where great tapas is performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse recommends yogic practice and tapas at the sacred site (austerity as a form of worship and self-purification).