Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गोपायिता केशवेन यत्र ते पाण्डुनन्दनाः । कुर्वंतः स्वानि कर्माणि न कैश्चिदुपलक्षिता

Transliteration

gopāyitā keśavena yatra te pāṇḍunandanāḥ | kurvaṃtaḥ svāni karmāṇi na kaiścidupalakṣitā

Translation

അവിടെ കേശവൻ ആ പാണ്ഡുനന്ദനരെ സംരക്ഷിച്ചു; അവർ തങ്ങളുടെ കര്‍ത്തവ്യങ്ങൾ ചെയ്തിട്ടും ആരാലും തിരിച്ചറിയപ്പെടില്ലായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गोपायिता: was protected
• गोपायिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गोपाय् (धातु; गोपायति)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘protected’ (सा = सरस्वती)

• केशवेन: by Keśava
• केशवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक (where)

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पाण्डु-नन्दनाः: sons of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डु-नन्दनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पाण्डोः नन्दनाः)

• कुर्वन्तः: doing
• कुर्वन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘doing’

• स्वानि: their own
• स्वानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्माणि)

• कर्माणि: deeds/actions
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• कैश्चित्: by anyone
• कैश्चित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (by anyone)

• उपलक्षिताः: were noticed
• उपलक्षिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘noticed/recognized’ (ते पाण्डुनन्दनाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopāyana-associated kṣetra (Pandava-gupta-vāsa memory)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Pandavas, disguised and unrecognized, perform their assigned duties in Virāṭa’s realm while Keśava invisibly protects them; the Gopāyana landscape stands nearby as a sacred marker.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pāṇḍunandanāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection supports dharmic living even in concealment; righteous action can be safeguarded by the Lord when performed with integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locality associated with Gopāyana (mentioned in the surrounding verses), remembered for Kṛṣṇa’s protection of the Pāṇḍavas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides sacred-historical association (itihāsa-sambandha) enhancing the site’s māhātmya.