Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच । गुप्तक्षेत्रमिदं कस्मात्कस्माद्गुप्तं च नारद । यस्य प्रभावः सुमहान्नैव कस्यापि संस्तुतः

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | guptakṣetramidaṃ kasmātkasmādguptaṃ ca nārada | yasya prabhāvaḥ sumahānnaiva kasyāpi saṃstutaḥ

Translation

ଅର୍ଜୁନ କହିଲେ—ହେ ନାରଦ! ଏହାକୁ ‘ଗୁପ୍ତକ୍ଷେତ୍ର’ କାହିଁକି କୁହାଯାଏ? ଏବଂ କାହିଁକି ଏହା ଗୁପ୍ତ ରହିଗଲା? ଯାହାର ପ୍ରଭାବ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ମହାନ, ତାହାକୁ ତ କେହି ମଧ୍ୟ ସ୍ତୁତି କରିନାହାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• arjunaḥ: Arjuna
• arjunaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• guptakṣetram: this hidden sacred place
• guptakṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta-kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kasmāt: from what cause/why
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kasmāt: why (indeed)
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम (repetition for emphasis)

• guptam: hidden
• guptam: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √gup)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used adjectivally

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• nārada: O Nārada
• nārada: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति (8th/Vocative); एकवचन

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• prabhāvaḥ: power, influence
• prabhāvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• sumahān: very great
• sumahān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-mahat (प्रातिपदिक; सु + महत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (to prabhāvaḥ)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• kasyāpi: of anyone
• kasyāpi: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ka (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम with अव्यय 'api' (indefinite)

• saṃstutaḥ: praised, extolled
• saṃstutaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√stu (धातु) → saṃstuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively

Speaker

Arjuna

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra (name as given)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna, with folded hands, questions sage Nārada about a mysterious 'hidden kṣetra'; the setting is a forest hermitage with a subtle aura suggesting an unseen sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Nārada
• Guptakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity may remain veiled; inquiry to a realized guide is the doorway to understanding a tīrtha’s hidden glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘Guptakṣetra’ (hidden sacred region) associated with the Mahīnagaraka/Nīlakaṇṭha narrative stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse frames a question that introduces the forthcoming origin story.