Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

तत्रापि गुप्तक्षेत्रं च वेदैतत्सा कुमारिका । गुप्तक्षेत्रे कुमारेशं पूजयंति महाव्रता

Transliteration

tatrāpi guptakṣetraṃ ca vedaitatsā kumārikā | guptakṣetre kumāreśaṃ pūjayaṃti mahāvratā

Translation

അവിടെയും ഒരു ഗുപ്തക്ഷേത്രം ഉണ്ട്—ഇത് ആ കുമാരിക അറിയുന്നു. ആ ഗുപ്തക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ മഹാവ്രതധാരികൾ കുമാരേശനെ പൂജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• गुप्तक्षेत्रम्: the hidden sacred region
• गुप्तक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गुप्तं क्षेत्रम्’ (hidden sacred area)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कुमारिका: Kumārīkā (the maiden/goddess)
• कुमारिका: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम/विशेष्य

• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: in the hidden region
• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• कुमारेशम्: Kumāreśa
• कुमारेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; कुमार + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘कुमारस्य ईशः’

• पूजयन्ति: worship
• पूजयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाव्रताः: great-vowed devotees
• महाव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; महा + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (those of great vow)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-kṣetra of Kumāreśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concealed grove or inner sanctum revealed only to austere devotees; mahāvratins with matted hair and rudrākṣa worship a liṅga named Kumāreśa, with subtle protective boundary markers.

Characters & Entities

• Kumārikā
• Gupta-kṣetra
• Kumāreśa
• Mahāvrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some sacred realities are ‘hidden’—revealed through purity, vows, and devotion; such worship is portrayed as especially potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a Gupta-kṣetra (hidden sacred region) where Kumāreśa is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kumāreśa by mahāvrata practitioners is indicated.