Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

एतल्लिंगं न जानंति नराः सिद्ध्यभिकांक्षिणः । विशंति विवरं तेन हाटकेश्वरकांक्षया

Transliteration

etalliṃgaṃ na jānaṃti narāḥ siddhyabhikāṃkṣiṇaḥ | viśaṃti vivaraṃ tena hāṭakeśvarakāṃkṣayā

Translation

«Les hommes qui aspirent aux siddhi ne reconnaissent pas ce liṅga ; et, désirant Hāṭakeśvara, ils entrent dans une fente, une cavité, à cause de cette méprise.»

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (this)

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• jānanti: know
• jānanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• siddhi-abhikāṃkṣiṇaḥ: desiring success/attainment
• siddhi-abhikāṃkṣiṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + abhikāṃkṣin (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √kāṅkṣ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (desirous of attainment)

• viśanti: enter
• viśanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• vivaram: cavity/opening
• vivaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• hāṭakeśvara-kāṃkṣayā: due to desire for Hāṭakeśvara
• hāṭakeśvara-kāṃkṣayā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāṭakeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṃkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause: due to desire)

Speaker

Gautama (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (sought) and the local liṅga (unrecognized)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) king/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of siddhi-seekers, intent and restless, overlook the evident liṅga shrine and instead crawl toward a dark rock cleft; a calm priest points back to the manifest liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Siddhi-craving can obscure true recognition of the sacred; humility and right understanding are essential in tīrtha practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara, portrayed as not easily ‘known’ by mere ambition but approached through proper devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse cautions against siddhi-driven approach and implies the need for correct bhakti and guidance.