Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

तत्रापि गुप्तक्षेत्रं च वेदैतत्सा कुमारिका । गुप्तक्षेत्रे कुमारेशं पूजयंति महाव्रता

Transliteration

tatrāpi guptakṣetraṃ ca vedaitatsā kumārikā | guptakṣetre kumāreśaṃ pūjayaṃti mahāvratā

Translation

وہاں ایک ‘گُپت کھیتر’ بھی ہے—یہ بات وہ کُمارِکا جانتی ہے۔ اُس پوشیدہ کھیتر میں مہاورت دھاری لوگ کُماریش کی پوجا کرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• गुप्तक्षेत्रम्: the hidden sacred region
• गुप्तक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्त + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गुप्तं क्षेत्रम्’ (hidden sacred area)

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

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कुमारिका: Kumārīkā (the maiden/goddess)
• कुमारिका: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम/विशेष्य

• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: in the hidden region
• गुप्तक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्त-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• कुमारेशम्: Kumāreśa
• कुमारेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; कुमार + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘कुमारस्य ईशः’

• पूजयन्ति: worship
• पूजयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाव्रताः: great-vowed devotees
• महाव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; महा + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (those of great vow)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-kṣetra of Kumāreśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concealed grove or inner sanctum revealed only to austere devotees; mahāvratins with matted hair and rudrākṣa worship a liṅga named Kumāreśa, with subtle protective boundary markers.

Characters & Entities

• Kumārikā
• Gupta-kṣetra
• Kumāreśa
• Mahāvrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some sacred realities are ‘hidden’—revealed through purity, vows, and devotion; such worship is portrayed as especially potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a Gupta-kṣetra (hidden sacred region) where Kumāreśa is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kumāreśa by mahāvrata practitioners is indicated.