Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

गत्वा शीघ्रतमं मर्त्ये त्वं शक्र वचनान्मम । हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे तीर्थद्वयमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

gatvā śīghratamaṃ martye tvaṃ śakra vacanānmama | hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre tīrthadvayamanuttamam

Translation

« Va sur-le-champ dans le monde des mortels, ô Śakra, selon mon ordre—rends-toi au pays de Hāṭakeśvara, vers la paire de tīrthas sans égale. »

Word by Word

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• śīghratamam: most quickly
• śīghratamam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अतिशयार्थक-तमप्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially with motion)

• martye: in the mortal world
• martye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śakra: O Śakra (Indra)
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• vacanāt: from/according to the command
• vacanāt: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• hāṭakeśvaraje: in/at (the place) connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• hāṭakeśvaraje: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāṭakeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘हाटकेश्वर-जे’ = हाटकेश्वरात् जात/सम्बद्ध (pertaining to Hāṭakeśvara)

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

• tīrthadvayam: the two tīrthas
• tīrthadvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, excellent
• anuttamam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समास; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Brahmā (Padmaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra; ‘tīrtha-dvaya’ (two tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śakra/Śatakratu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs Indra: a dynamic departure scene—Indra with vajra and celestial mount, turning toward earth; a map-like vignette shows Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra with two shining water-bodies/ghats side by side, labeled as the ‘tīrtha-dvaya’.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (implied)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Two tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods acknowledge and act upon tīrtha-prabhāva; sacred geography commands divine attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and its two ‘anuttama’ tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to go/approach the tīrthas (pilgrimage action); no detailed rite is specified.