Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततः पितामहादेशं लब्ध्वा मार्गेण तेन सः । प्रविश्य चेक्षयामास पाताले हाट केश्वरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ pitāmahādeśaṃ labdhvā mārgeṇa tena saḥ | praviśya cekṣayāmāsa pātāle hāṭa keśvaram

Translation

Then, having received the command of the Grandsire (Brahmā), he entered by that very route and beheld Hāṭakeśvara in Pātāla.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Adverbial (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/कालार्थक (from that/thereupon)

• पितामहादेशम्: the command of the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहादेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह-आदेश (प्रातिपदिक: पितामह + आदेश)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितामहस्य आदेशः)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having obtained’

• मार्गेण: by the path
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√विश् (धातु) → प्रविश्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-रूप)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having entered’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• ईक्षयामास: beheld/saw
• ईक्षयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (√ईक्ष्/√इक्ष्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-प्रयोगे परस्मैपद ‘आमास’ (periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पाताले: in Pātāla (netherworld)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरम्: Hāṭakeśvara (Lord of Hāṭaka)
• हाटकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: हाटक + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, guided by Brahmā’s command, descends through a mysterious passage into Pātāla; the underworld glows with subterranean light as the Hāṭakeśvara-liṅga comes into view.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Indra (Pākaśāsana)
• Pātāla
• Hāṭakeśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right guidance (from Brahmā) leads the seeker to the correct tīrtha and deity, where liberation from sin becomes possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara—Śiva’s liṅga revered in the Pātāla-associated sacred geography of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding the deity/liṅga) is implied as the efficacious act, elaborated in the following verse.