Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं यत्तद्व्याप्तं समंततः । रौद्रैराशीविषैः क्रूरैः शेषस्यादेशमाश्रितेः

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvarajaṃ kṣetraṃ yattadvyāptaṃ samaṃtataḥ | raudrairāśīviṣaiḥ krūraiḥ śeṣasyādeśamāśriteḥ

Translation

Cette terre sacrée de Hāṭakeśvara s’étendait de toutes parts, environnée de serpents venimeux, terribles et cruels, agissant sous l’ordre de Śeṣa.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरजम्: connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘क्षेत्रम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (हाटकेश्वरात्/हाटकेश्वरस्य जातम्) ‘born of/pertaining to Hāṭakeśvara’—क्षेत्रम् इति विशेषण

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field; region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karman/Visaya (Object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: accusative as object of implied description; syntactically topic)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun: which)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्-शब्दः (that)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded; filled
• व्याप्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (pervaded/filled)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Desha-adhikarana (Spatial adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (on all sides)

• रौद्रैः: fierce
• रौद्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (fierce/terrible)

• आशीविषैः: by venomous serpents
• आशीविषैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• क्रूरैः: cruel
• क्रूरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शेषस्य: of Śeṣa
• शेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• आदेशम्: command; order
• आदेशम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आश्रितेः: of (one) who has taken refuge in
• आश्रितेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘आश्रित’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक?; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular) — पाठे ‘आश्रितेः’ = आश्रितस्य/आश्रितेः (of one who has resorted to)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide view of Hāṭakeśvara’s sacred region: the perimeter teems with fierce hooded serpents, eyes blazing, as if stationed by royal command; the kṣetra feels both holy and perilous.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Kṣetra
• Āśīviṣa serpents
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even perilous landscapes within tīrtha-geography serve to highlight the supremacy of divine protection and the transformative power of sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is explicitly described as the setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it sets the context for the protective mantra’s necessity and greatness.