Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आदि गुह्याष्टकं ह्येतत्तेजस्तत्त्वे प्रतिष्ठितम् । गया चैव कुरुक्षेत्रं तीर्थं कनखलं तथा

Transliteration

ādi guhyāṣṭakaṃ hyetattejastattve pratiṣṭhitam | gayā caiva kurukṣetraṃ tīrthaṃ kanakhalaṃ tathā

Translation

ഈ ‘ആദി-ഗുഹ്യാഷ്ടകം’ തീർച്ചയായും തേജസ്-തത്ത്വത്തിൽ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമാണ്. ഗയ, കുരുക്ഷേത്രം, കനഖല തീർത്ഥവും ഇതിൽ അന്തർഭൂതമാണ്.

Word by Word

• आदि: prime/first
• आदि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of guhyāṣṭakam)

• गुह्याष्टकम्: the set of eight secret [tīrthas]
• गुह्याष्टकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अष्टौ गुह्यानि इति द्विगु

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेजस्तत्त्वे: in the principle/essence of tejas
• तेजस्तत्त्वे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तेजसः तत्त्वम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; सप्तमी—‘in the principle of radiance’

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थापितम्/स्थितम्’

• गया: Gayā (name)
• गया: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (स्थलनाम; enumerative object)

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

• एव: also/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra (name)
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कुरूणां क्षेत्रम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कनखलम्: Kanakhala (name)
• कनखलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनखल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhyāṣṭaka (Ādi-guhyāṣṭaka) anchored in Tejas; includes Gayā, Kurukṣetra, Kanakhala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage reveals a secret ‘octad’ of tīrthas as luminous nodes within a radiant Tejas-mandala; distant iconic landscapes—Gayā’s śrāddha-ghāṭs, Kurukṣetra’s dharma-field, Kanakhala’s Gaṅgā ford—appear as miniature emblems orbiting a central light.

Characters & Entities

• Guhyāṣṭaka
• Tejas-tattva
• Gayā
• Kurukṣetra
• Kanakhala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not only geographic; they are also arranged by tattva—here, a secret octad rooted in Tejas, the principle of spiritual radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā, Kurukṣetra, and Kanakhala are explicitly named as part of the Tejas-based Guhyāṣṭaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct instruction; the verse classifies tīrthas by metaphysical principle, guiding contemplative pilgrimage.