Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तत्राद्यं स्थापितं लिंगं हाटकेन सुरोत्तमैः । यत्तत्संकीर्त्यते लोके पाताले हाटकेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tatrādyaṃ sthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ hāṭakena surottamaiḥ | yattatsaṃkīrtyate loke pātāle hāṭakeśvaram

Translation

Là, Hāṭaka, avec les plus éminents des dieux, établit d’abord un liṅga. Ce sanctuaire est célébré dans le monde comme Hāṭakeśvara en Pātāla.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आद्यम्: first; original
• आद्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थापितम्: installed
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘स्थापित’ (causative of √स्था); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हाटकेन: by Hāṭaka
• हाटकेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सुरोत्तमैः: by the best of gods
• सुरोत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः सुराः)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तदनुयोगी (correlative)

• संकीर्त्यते: is celebrated
• संकीर्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) (सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘is celebrated/recited’

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

• पाताले: in Pātāla (netherworld)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरम्: Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-uttama / muni interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and a figure named Hāṭaka perform the first installation of a radiant Śiva-liṅga; the scene hints at subterranean/otherworldly fame—Pātāla motifs like nāgas or jeweled caverns subtly appear.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Hāṭaka
• gods (surottamas)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence is anchored through the liṅga, making the kṣetra a living conduit of purification and divine accessibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara—famed as a Śiva-liṅga connected with Pātāla, and worshipped/remembered in the human world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, worship/recitation of the name (saṃkīrtana) of Hāṭakeśvara; explicit rites appear in subsequent verses.