Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं शृणुते नरः । न तस्य पुण्यसंख्यानं कर्तुं शक्येत केनचित्

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvarakṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇute naraḥ | na tasya puṇyasaṃkhyānaṃ kartuṃ śakyeta kenacit

Translation

Si un homme écoute la grandeur du lieu sacré de Hāṭakeśvara, nul ne peut en calculer la mesure du mérite qu’il acquiert.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य: of the Hāṭakeśvara sacred field
• हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘of the Hāṭakeśvara-field (sacred area)’

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (māhātmya)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object of hearing

• शृणुते: he hears
• शृणुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘he listens/hears’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — subject

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — not

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘of him/of that’

• पुण्यसंख्यानम्: enumeration of merits
• पुण्यसंख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या/√ख्यै धात्वर्थ ‘to count’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘counting/enumeration of merit’

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive) — ‘to do/to make’

• शक्येत: would be possible
• शक्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः, ‘could be possible’

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — indefinite ‘by anyone’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: māhātmya narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims and sages gathered as the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya is recited; a radiant Śiva-liṅga or temple emblem subtly emanates light, symbolizing immeasurable puṇya.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening (śravaṇa) to a tīrtha’s māhātmya yields immeasurable puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, a Śaiva sacred region praised in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is śravaṇa—hearing the māhātmya with faith.