Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

गुप्तक्षेत्रे मयैवाऽसौ नियुक्तो देव्यनुस्मृतौ । पूर्वं दत्तं वरं स्वीयं स्मरता देवसंसदि

Transliteration

guptakṣetre mayaivā'sau niyukto devyanusmṛtau | pūrvaṃ dattaṃ varaṃ svīyaṃ smaratā devasaṃsadi

Translation

ഗുപ്തക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ദേവീ-അനുസ്മരണാർത്ഥം ഞാൻ തന്നേ അവനെ നിയോഗിച്ചു. ദേവസഭയിൽ മുൻപ് ലഭിച്ച സ്വന്തം വരം സ്മരിച്ചു അവൻ അതനുസരിച്ച് പ്രവർത്തിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• gupta-kṣetre: in the secret place/field
• gupta-kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त, √gup) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• niyuktaḥ: appointed/assigned
• niyuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyukta (कृदन्त, √yuj with ni-, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• devy-anusmṛtau: in the goddess’s remembrance/recitation
• devy-anusmṛtau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक) + anusmṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘देव्याः अनुस्मृतिः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त, √dā, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• varam: boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• svīyam: one’s own
• svīyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘varam’)

• smaratā: by (him) remembering
• smaratā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smarat (कृदन्त, √smṛ, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle)

• deva-saṃsadi: in the assembly of the gods
• deva-saṃsadi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘देवानां संसत्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a hidden sacred grove/clearing marked by subtle śākta emblems, a divine figure indicates an appointed devotee, while the atmosphere suggests secrecy and sanctified remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Devī
• Guptakṣetra
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of the Goddess (devī-smaraṇa) and honoring divine boons are portrayed as forces that shape destiny within sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is indicated as a ‘hidden’ sacred region; the verse highlights its sanctity as a place connected with Devī’s remembrance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devī-anusmṛti (remembrance/mental worship of the Goddess) is implied as the devotional practice.