Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गच्छ शीघ्रं महाभागे जाबालिर्यत्र तिष्ठति । हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे तपोविघ्नाय तस्य वै

Transliteration

gaccha śīghraṃ mahābhāge jābāliryatra tiṣṭhati | hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre tapovighnāya tasya vai

Translation

Geh schnell, o Glückselige, dorthin, wo Jābāli weilt, im heiligen Gebiet von Hāṭakeśvara, um wahrlich seine Askese zu behindern.

Word by Word

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; English: imperative, 2nd person singular

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Visheshana (Adverbial/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषणम्; English: adverb ‘quickly’

• महाभागे: O fortunate lady
• महाभागे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (महान् भागः यस्याः); English: vocative singular

• जाबालिः: Jābāli (the sage)
• जाबालिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाबालि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: nominative singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्; English: relative adverb ‘where’

• तिष्ठति: stays; stands
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; English: present, 3rd person singular

• हाटकेश्वरजे: in/at (the place) of Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटक + ईश्वर + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्त्यर्थे (क्षेत्रे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (हाटकेश्वरात् जातम्/हाटकेश्वर-सम्बन्धि); English: locative singular adjective agreeing with kṣetre

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: locative singular

• तपोविघ्नाय: for obstructing (his) austerity
• तपोविघ्नाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तपसः विघ्नः); English: dative singular (purpose)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: genitive singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/अनुनासिक-अव्ययम्; English: emphatic particle ‘indeed’

Speaker

Devas (addressing Rambhā; Indra included)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra’s directive: ‘Go quickly’—Rambhā is pointed toward the Hāṭakeśvara sacred region where sage Jābāli resides; the scene juxtaposes celestial command with the distant forest hermitage near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Jābāli
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Rambhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The higher the tapas, the sharper the trials—one must guard one’s vow even at powerful tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, explicitly named as the locus of Jābāli’s austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None as a prescription for devotees; the verse narrates an attempted obstruction of tapas.