Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कालभीतिगुप्तक्षेत्रगुणाञ्छ्रुत्वाभ्युपाययौ । स्नात्वा ततो महीतोये जप्त्वा मन्त्रांश्च कोटिशः

Transliteration

kālabhītiguptakṣetraguṇāñchrutvābhyupāyayau | snātvā tato mahītoye japtvā mantrāṃśca koṭiśaḥ

Translation

เมื่อกาลภีติได้สดับคุณานุภาพแห่งกษेत्रศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันเร้นลับ ก็เข้าไปยังที่นั้น ครั้นอาบในสายน้ำแห่งแผ่นดินแล้ว เขาก็สาธยายมนต์นับไม่ถ้วน ถึงระดับโกฏิครั้ง

Word by Word

• कालभीति-गुप्त-क्षेत्र-गुणान्: the qualities of the secret field (of Kālabhīti)
• कालभीति-गुप्त-क्षेत्र-गुणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालभीति (प्रातिपदिक) + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कालभीतेः गुप्तस्य क्षेत्रस्य गुणाः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• अभ्युपाययौ: approached
• अभ्युपाययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + उप + इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘अभ्युपाययौ’ = approached/went near

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘स्नात्वा’ = having bathed

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Desha/Kala-adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from there)

• मही-तोये: in the water (there) on the ground
• मही-तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महेः/महीयाḥ तोये = in the earth-water)

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘जप्त्वा’ = having recited

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

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

• कोटिशः: by crores; millions of times
• कोटिशः: Parimana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (तद्धित)
• Form: शस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb of manner/number): ‘कोटिशः’ = by crores, millions of times

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-kṣetra associated with Kālabhīti (name not explicitly stated beyond ‘gupta-kṣetra’ context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālabhīti arrives at a secluded sacred spot—an earth-fed pool/spring amid forested terrain—bathes, then sits in intense japa, suggesting ‘koṭi’ repetitions; atmosphere of secrecy and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhīti
• Guptakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing a tīrtha’s greatness should lead to disciplined practice—snāna and sustained japa—through which the place’s sanctity becomes personally realized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A “gupta-kṣetra” (hidden sacred site) within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative; the verse emphasizes its concealed yet potent sanctity rather than naming a famous city-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the local sacred water and mantra-japa performed in vast quantity (koṭiśaḥ).