Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं समासाद्य स सद्द्विजाः । बाल्येऽपि वयसि प्राप्ते समारेभे महत्तपः

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvarajaṃ kṣetraṃ samāsādya sa saddvijāḥ | bālye'pi vayasi prāpte samārebhe mahattapaḥ

Translation

Parvenu au saint domaine de Hāṭakeśvara, ce brāhmane vertueux—bien qu’encore jeune—entreprit une ascèse grande et rigoureuse.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरजम्: born from/pertaining to Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर + ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

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

• सत्: good, noble
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (द्विजाः)

• द्विजाः: O brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in narration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• वयसि: at age
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• प्राप्ते: having come/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (वयसि)

• समारेभे: began, undertook
• समारेभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Young Jābāli arrives at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra—visible liṅga-shrine or sacred precinct—then begins intense austerity: standing posture, raised arms, or seated meditation near a sacred grove/riverbank, with the kṣetra’s sanctity subtly radiating.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity arises when one approaches a tīrtha with resolve and undertakes disciplined tapas, regardless of age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, presented as a potent field for austerity and spiritual attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on commencing great tapas at the tīrtha.