Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

हाटकेशो महाकालस्तारके शस्तथैव च । एकलिंगं त्रिधा भूत्वा त्रिलोकीं व्याप्य संस्थितम्

Transliteration

hāṭakeśo mahākālastārake śastathaiva ca | ekaliṃgaṃ tridhā bhūtvā trilokīṃ vyāpya saṃsthitam

Translation

Hāṭakeśa, Mahākāla und ebenso Tārakeśa: Ein einziger Liṅga wurde dreifach und bleibt gegründet, die drei Welten durchdringend.

Word by Word

• हाटकेशः: Lord of Hāṭaka (gold)
• हाटकेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हाटकस्य ईशः)

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् कालः)

• तारके: in/at Tāraka
• तारके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शः: Śa (a name/epithet)
• शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (स्थानीय-नाम/उपाधि)

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकलिङ्गम्: one liṅga
• एकलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एकं लिङ्गम्)

• त्रिधा: in three ways
• त्रिधा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्याविशेषण-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in three ways)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having become’

• त्रिलोकीम्: the three worlds
• त्रिलोकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः लोकाः यस्याः/त्रिलोकी)

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) from √व्याप्; ‘having pervaded’

• संस्थितम्: is established/abides
• संस्थितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (predicate participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśa–Mahākāla–Tārakeśa (triad within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single radiant liṅga divides into three—Hāṭakeśa, Mahākāla, and Tārakeśa—each enthroned in Kāśī, while a subtle aura expands to fill the three worlds (earth, mid-space, heaven).

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśa
• Mahākāla
• Tārakeśa
• Liṅga
• Triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Supreme Śiva can manifest in multiple forms for the welfare of the worlds while remaining essentially one.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla sphere (Avantī/Ujjayinī), highlighting named liṅga-forms present in the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse supports multi-form liṅga worship within the kṣetra.