Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

येन तप्तं गुप्तक्षेत्रे येन देव्यः सुतोषिताः । यस्यातुलं बाहुबलं तेन चोक्तं निशम्यताम्

Transliteration

yena taptaṃ guptakṣetre yena devyaḥ sutoṣitāḥ | yasyātulaṃ bāhubalaṃ tena coktaṃ niśamyatām

Translation

ଯିଏ ଗୁପ୍ତକ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ତପସ୍ୟା କରିଛନ୍ତି, ଯିଏ ଦେବୀମାନଙ୍କୁ ସନ୍ତୁଷ୍ଟ କରିଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଯାହାର ବାହୁବଳ ଅତୁଳନୀୟ, ତାଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା କୁହାଯାଇଥିବା କଥା ଶୁଣନ୍ତୁ ।

Word by Word

• yena: by whom/with which
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• taptaṃ: austerity performed / heated
• taptaṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (तप् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तप् = तप्तम् = performed austerity/heat)

• guptakṣetre: in the protected/secret field
• guptakṣetre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—गुप्तं क्षेत्रम् (protected/secret field)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• devyaḥ: the goddesses
• devyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sutoṣitāḥ: were well-pleased
• sutoṣitāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: su + tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (देव्यः)

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

• atulaṃ: incomparable
• atulaṃ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bāhubalaṃ: strength of arms
• bāhubalaṃ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—बाहोः बलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• tena: by him/therefore
• tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• uktaṃ: (what is) said
• uktaṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• niśamyatām: let it be heard/attended to
• niśamyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + śam (शम् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (let it be listened to)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; within the narrative a warrior speaks (Bhīma implied by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A herald-like introduction of Barbarīka: imagery flashes of him performing austerities in a secluded sacred grove/rocky shrine (Guptakṣetra), Devīs appearing pleased, and his mighty arms radiating power.

Characters & Entities

• Guptakṣetra
• Devī (Goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and sincere Devī-upāsanā performed at a sacred site bear tangible spiritual and worldly strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is praised as a potent sacred field where tapas quickly pleases the Devīs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse highlights tapas (austerity) and Devī-ārādhanā as the cause of merit and power.