Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

तीर्थानि च गुहं नाथं सम्मान्य विससर्ज सः । एवमेतत्पुरा वृत्तं गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य कारणम्

Transliteration

tīrthāni ca guhaṃ nāthaṃ sammānya visasarja saḥ | evametatpurā vṛttaṃ guptakṣetrasya kāraṇam

Translation

ครั้นได้บูชานอบน้อมบรรดาตีรถะและพระนาถคุหะโดยสมควรแล้ว เขาจึงส่งท่านทั้งหลายกลับไป ดังนี้แลเป็นเหตุการณ์ในกาลก่อน—นี่เองคือเหตุที่สถานที่นี้ได้ชื่อว่า ‘คุปตเกษตร’ คือแดนศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันเร้นลับ

Word by Word

• तीर्थानि: the sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

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

• गुहम्: Guha (Kārttikeya)
• गुहम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; with नाथम् as apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नाथम्: the Lord
• नाथम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुहम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन

• सम्मान्य: having honored
• सम्मान्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/gerundial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-मान् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘सम्मान्य’ = सम्मानं कृत्वा

• विससर्ज: sent forth, dismissed
• विससर्ज: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता; with वृत्तम् as predicate/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• पुरा: formerly, in the past
• पुरा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वृत्तम्: occurred, happened
• वृत्तम्: Karta (कर्ता; predicate of एतत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वृत्त’ = happened/occurred

• गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य: of the hidden sacred region
• गुप्तक्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्तक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुप्तं क्षेत्रम्’

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता; predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Sūta’s discourse (context: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa dialogue to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After honoring the tīrthas and Guha, Brahmā performs a formal dismissal; the sacred presences subtly withdraw, leaving the landscape outwardly quiet—hence ‘hidden kṣetra’.

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Tīrthas
• Guptakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s name and fame arise from sacred events; honoring divinity and holy places sustains their hidden and revealed power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra is explained through its origin-cause, with Guha (Skanda) and the tīrthas central to the account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Respectful honoring (sammāna) of the deity and tīrthas—an implicit prescription of reverence in pilgrimage practice.