Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । अत्यद्भुतमिदं सूत गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य पावनम् । महन्माहात्म्यमतुलं कीर्तितं हर्षवर्धनम्

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | atyadbhutamidaṃ sūta guptakṣetrasya pāvanam | mahanmāhātmyamatulaṃ kīrtitaṃ harṣavardhanam

Translation

ശൗനകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സൂതാ, ഇത് അത്യദ്ഭുതം—ഗുപ്തക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ പാവന മഹിമ. അതിന്റെ മഹത്തായ, അതുല്യമായ മാഹാത്മ്യം കീര്ത്തിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; അത് ഹർഷം വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• अति-अद्भुतम्: very wonderful
• अति-अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (इदम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred hidden place (Guptakṣetra)
• गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifier; sanctifying (account)
• पावनम्: Pradhana (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (माहात्म्यम्)

• माहात्म्यम्: glory, sacred greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (माहात्म्यम्)

• कीर्तितम्: has been described
• कीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उक्तम्/वर्णितम्’

• हर्षवर्धनम्: increasing joy
• हर्षवर्धनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष + वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कीर्तितम्/माहात्म्यम्)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Naimiṣāraṇya, Śaunaka addresses Sūta with uplifted hand, eyes bright with wonder; surrounding sages lean in, the atmosphere charged with joy as the ‘Guptakṣetra’ is praised as supremely purifying.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Guptakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing and celebrating a kṣetra’s māhātmya strengthens faith and inspires dharmic pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is explicitly praised as purifying and wondrous.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse models śraddhā through appreciative acknowledgment of the narrated māhātmya.