Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरमाहात्म्यादस्पृष्टं कलिना हि तत् । पंचक्रोशप्रमाणेन अचलेश्वरजेन च

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvaramāhātmyādaspṛṣṭaṃ kalinā hi tat | paṃcakrośapramāṇena acaleśvarajena ca

Translation

হাটকেশ্বৰ-মাহাত্ম্যৰ বলত সেই অঞ্চল ক’লিৰ স্পৰ্শৰ পৰা নিশ্চয়েই অক্ষত থাকে—পাঁচ ক্ৰোশ পৰিমিত পৰিক্ৰমা-প্ৰমাণে—আৰু অচলেশ্বৰ-উৎপন্ন শক্তিৰ দ্বাৰাও।

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरमाहात्म्यात्: from the glory of Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरमाहात्म्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटकेश्वर-माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हाटकेश्वरस्य माहात्म्यम्)

• अस्पृष्टम्: untouched
• अस्पृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘untouched’

• कलिना: by Kali (the age/personified)
• कलिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेतु/निश्चयार्थक

• तत्: that (place/thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन: by the measure of five krośas
• पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-क्रोश-प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चक्रोशस्य प्रमाणम्)

• अचलेश्वरजेन: by/with (that which is) born of Acaleśvara
• अचलेश्वरजेन: Karana (Instrument/Association/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचलेश्वर-ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अचलेश्वरात् जातः/अचलेश्वरस्य जः)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the Ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (pañcakrośa-parimita)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous five-krośa sacred circuit encircling a Śiva-liṅga shrine of Hāṭakeśvara; a second shrine/emanation of Acaleśvara radiates protective force, while a dark, withering ‘Kali’ presence is held outside the boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Acaleśvara
• Kali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain Śaiva kṣetras are portrayed as sanctuaries from Kali’s influence due to the deity’s mahātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara–Acaleśvara kṣetra, defined here as a pañcakrośa (five-krośa) sacred zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse gives a sacred measurement (pañcakrośa) indicating pilgrimage scope.