Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच तान्नागान्पार्श्वस्थान्पन्नगाधिपः । हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे यांतु मे सुहृदुत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca tānnāgānpārśvasthānpannagādhipaḥ | hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre yāṃtu me suhṛduttamāḥ

Translation

Da sprach der Herr der Schlangen zu den Nagas, die in der Nähe standen: "Geht, meine besten Freunde, zum heiligen Feld von Hatakeshwara."

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: then)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular perfect

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• नागान्: Nāgas
• नागान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; तान् इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्यः

• पार्श्वस्थान्: standing nearby
• पार्श्वस्थान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) [पार्श्व+स्थ]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; विशेषणम् (qualifying नागान्); तत्पुरुषः (पार्श्वे स्थिताः)

• पन्नगाधिपः: lord of serpents
• पन्नगाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नगाधिप (प्रातिपदिक) [पन्नग+अधिप]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पन्नगानाम् अधिपः)

• हाटकेश्वरजे: connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वरज (प्रातिपदिक) [हाटकेश्वर+ज]
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying क्षेत्रे); तत्पुरुषः (हाटकेश्वरात् जातम्/सम्बद्धम्)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• यान्तु: let them go
• यान्तु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural imperative

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular (enclitic)

• सुहृदुत्तमाः: excellent friends
• सुहृदुत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृदुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) [सुहृद्+उत्तम]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमाः सुहृदः)

Speaker

Pannagādhipa (Śeṣa, the nāga-lord)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not explicit

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The nāga-king (Śeṣa) addresses nearby nāgas, pointing toward Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra; the retinue prepares to depart—coils unspooling, banners or serpent-hoods raised—toward a temple-marked horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places (kṣetras) are presented as decisive stages where dharma is defended and adharma is confronted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is explicitly named as the destination and sacred locus of the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse functions as a command directing movement to a tīrtha/kṣetra.