Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अष्टषष्टिः स्मृता लोके क्षेत्राणां शूलपाणिनः । यत्र सान्निध्यमभ्येति त्रिकालं परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

aṣṭaṣaṣṭiḥ smṛtā loke kṣetrāṇāṃ śūlapāṇinaḥ | yatra sānnidhyamabhyeti trikālaṃ parameśvaraḥ

Translation

«Dans le monde, on se souvient de soixante-huit champs sacrés du Porteur du Trident, lieux où le Seigneur Suprême s’approche en présence aux trois moments du jour.»

Word by Word

• अष्टषष्टिः: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टषष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट + षष्टि)

• स्मृता: is remembered/considered
• स्मृता: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्मृता (is remembered/considered)’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्राणाम्: of the sacred fields/holy places
• क्षेत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• शूलपाणिनः: of Śūlapāṇi (Śiva, ‘trident-in-hand’)
• शूलपाणिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शूलः पाणौ यस्य)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• सान्निध्यम्: presence
• सान्निध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्निध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अभ्येति: approaches/attains
• अभ्येति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (morning/noon/evening)
• त्रिकालम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगे ‘त्रिकालम्’ = ‘at the three times’; (त्रयः कालाः)

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord (Śiva)
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (परमः ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlapāṇi-kṣetra-saṅgraha (the 68 Śiva-kṣetras as a collective)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary map-like tableau of sixty-eight Śiva-kṣetras glowing across the land; at each, a liṅga radiates as the sun rises, stands at zenith, and sets—signifying trikāla-sānnidhya.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlapāṇi (Śiva)
• Parameśvara (Śiva)
• kṣetra (sacred fields)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain kṣetras are especially charged with Śiva’s presence, making regular worship across the day spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse generalizes the doctrine of Śiva’s 68 kṣetras; the immediate narrative applies this principle to the local kṣetra being praised in Adhyāya 107.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, worship aligned to the three daily times (trikāla)—morning, midday, and evening—at Śiva’s kṣetras.