Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तथा ते लिंगिनो दान्ताः सिद्धिकामाः समंततः । समाश्रयंति तत्क्षेत्रं सवर्तीर्थसमा श्रयम्

Transliteration

tathā te liṃgino dāntāḥ siddhikāmāḥ samaṃtataḥ | samāśrayaṃti tatkṣetraṃ savartīrthasamā śrayam

Translation

So kommen auch die gezügelten Asketen, die die Zeichen der Entsagung tragen und nach Siddhi verlangen, von allen Seiten herbei und nehmen Zuflucht in jenem Kṣetra—einer Wohnstatt, die allen Tīrthas gleich ist.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (pronoun: masculine nominative plural)

• लिङ्गिनः: wearers of the liṅga / liṅga-bearers
• लिङ्गिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (masculine nominative plural)

• दान्ताः: self-controlled, restrained
• दान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (कृदन्त; √दम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally: ‘tamed/controlled’)

• सिद्धिकामाः: desiring siddhi (spiritual attainments)
• सिद्धिकामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi-kāma (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्धि + काम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (siddhyāḥ kāmaḥ: desirous of success/powers)

• समन्ततः: from all sides, everywhere
• समन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘from all sides/everywhere’)

• समाश्रयन्ति: take refuge in, resort to
• समाश्रयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• तत्क्षेत्रम्: that sacred field (holy place)
• तत्क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad-kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘that’ + ‘field/holy place’)

• सर्वतीर्थसमम्: equal to all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थसमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-tīrtha-sama (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (sarvatīrthaiḥ samaḥ: equal to all tīrthas)

• श्रयम्: refuge, resort
• श्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience: best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field with a central shrine; disciplined ascetics (liṅgins) arrive from the four directions, carrying kamaṇḍalu and daṇḍa, taking shelter near the kṣetra’s precincts under banyan and aśvattha trees.

Characters & Entities

• Ascetics (liṅginaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control and disciplined practice flourish in a charged sacred landscape; the kṣetra supports higher spiritual aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

That renowned kṣetra (connected with Hāṭakeśvara) is praised as a refuge whose merit equals that of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes renunciant discipline (dama) and the pursuit of siddhi through residence in the kṣetra.