Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । जलशायिस्वरूपेण यावन्मासचतुष्टयम् । हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे स संतिष्ठति सर्वदा

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | jalaśāyisvarūpeṇa yāvanmāsacatuṣṭayam | hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre sa saṃtiṣṭhati sarvadā

Translation

Nārada dit : «Sous la forme du Seigneur qui repose sur les eaux (Jalaśāyī), durant quatre mois Il demeure—toujours présent—dans le kṣetra sacré de Hāṭakeśvara.»

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जलशायि-स्वरूपेण: in the form of the water-reclining (one)
• जलशायि-स्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलशायिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जलशायिनः स्वरूपम्)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (correlative: as much/as long as)

• मास-चतुष्टयम्: a set of four months
• मास-चतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मासानां चतुष्टयम्)

• हाटकेश्वरजे: belonging to/connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हाटकेश्वरात् जातम्/सम्बद्धम्)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• संतिष्ठति: remains/stands
• संतिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) उपसर्गः सम् + तिष्ठ
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Jalaśāyī-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied interlocutor(s) within the narrative (Garuḍa and a brāhmaṇa figure appear in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred kṣetra with a water-body; Viṣṇu as Jalaśāyī reclining upon the waters, aura spreading; devotees approaching with folded hands during Cāturmāsya.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s presence is accessible through sacred geography and sacred time—devotion aligned with both yields darśana and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is explicitly glorified as the place where Jalaśāyī Viṣṇu abides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse alludes to a four-month sacred period (māsa-catuṣṭaya), suggestive of Cāturmāsya observance, though no specific vow-details are stated here.