Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे यज्ञभागाप्तये सदा । अष्टम्यां शुक्लपक्षे तु मधुमासे व्यवस्थिते

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre yajñabhāgāptaye sadā | aṣṭamyāṃ śuklapakṣe tu madhumāse vyavasthite

Translation

In the sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara, for the attainment of one’s due share in sacrificial merit, one should duly observe this rite on the eighth lunar day, during the bright fortnight, when the month of Madhu (springtime) has arrived.

Word by Word

• hāṭakeśvaraje: in (the) Hāṭakeśvara-related
• hāṭakeśvaraje: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāṭakeśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter stem used adjectivally), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘kṣetre’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः ‘हाटकेश्वर-सम्बन्धिनि’

• kṣetre: in the sacred field/region
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yajña-bhāga-āptaye: for obtaining the sacrificial share
• yajña-bhāga-āptaye: Sampradana (Recipient/Goal/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + āpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘यज्ञभागस्य आप्तिः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• aṣṭamyām: on the eighth (tithi)
• aṣṭamyām: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular) — तिथिवाचक (on the eighth lunar day)

• śukla-pakṣe: in the bright fortnight
• śukla-pakṣe: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘शुक्लः पक्षः’), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोध (but/indeed)

• madhu-māse: in the month of Madhu (spring month)
• madhu-māse: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/विशेषण: ‘मधुनामकः मासः’), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vyavasthite: when (it is) duly set/occurring
• vyavasthite: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘(काले) व्यवस्थिते’ = when it is set/arranged

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Springtime at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra: bright fortnight aṣṭamī moon, flowering trees, pilgrims preparing for observance near a shrine; a subtle yajña-symbolism (altar, ladles) indicates ‘yajña-bhāga’ attainment through tīrtha rite.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Madhu-māsa
• Śukla-pakṣa
• Aṣṭamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes right place and right time: a tīrtha and an auspicious tithi magnify spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra on Śukla-pakṣa Aṣṭamī during Madhu-māsa for attaining yajña-related merit.