Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गुप्तो भूत्वा यदा विद्वन्सुरतेजोभिवृद्धये । तेन गुप्तहरिर्नाम देवो विख्यातिमागतः

Transliteration

gupto bhūtvā yadā vidvansuratejobhivṛddhaye | tena guptaharirnāma devo vikhyātimāgataḥ

Translation

Ô sage, parce qu’il demeura caché afin d’accroître la splendeur des dieux, ce Seigneur devint célèbre sous le nom de « Gupta-Hari », Hari en dissimulation.

Word by Word

• गुप्तः: hidden, secret
• गुप्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (देवः/हरिः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (absolutive/gerund)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• विद्वन्: O wise one
• विद्वन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• सुरतेजोभिवृद्धये: for the increase of the gods’ splendor
• सुरतेजोभिवृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ दत्तिव (for the sake of); समास: सुरतेजः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + अभिवृद्धि (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• तेन: thereby, by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गुप्तहरिः: Hidden Hari (a name)
• गुप्तहरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (गुप्तः हरिः)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable meaning ‘by name/namely’)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विख्यातिम्: fame, renown
• विख्यातिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आगतः: attained, came to
• आगतः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-Hari (Ayodhyā-associated)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A learned interlocutor (vidvān)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage explains that because the Lord remained concealed to increase the gods’ splendor, he became famed as ‘Gupta-Hari’—a quiet revelation of a hidden form.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Gupta-Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine names arise from divine deeds; hidden service for the welfare of others is honored as sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The epithet develops within the Ayodhyā Māhātmya narrative, tying the Lord’s fame to Ayodhyā’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed; the verse explains the significance of gupta (hidden) tapas as a source of spiritual empowerment.