Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33
तेषु सर्वेषु मर्त्येन यथोक्तविधिना स्फुटम् । देवतायतनान्येव तथा द्रष्टुं महा मते
teṣu sarveṣu martyena yathoktavidhinā sphuṭam | devatāyatanānyeva tathā draṣṭuṃ mahā mate
Wahai yang berhikmat agung, di antara semuanya itu, bagi manusia fana untuk melaksanakan tata cara sebagaimana diajarkan dengan jelas—dan juga untuk menyaksikan kediaman para dewa—(sungguh sulit).
Ṛṣayaḥ (continuing; addressing Sūta as mahā-mate)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (aggregate āyatanas)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sūta-putra (Sauti)
Scene: Pilgrims attempt multiple rites—bathing, offering, circumambulation—moving from shrine to shrine; some appear weary, while a guide-priest points to a main temple, suggesting prioritization; the sages’ words overlay the scene as a compassionate acknowledgment of limits.
FAQs
Right method (vidhi) and reverent darśana matter, yet human limitation is acknowledged—devotion must be realistic and sincere.
The verse continues the praise of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra as containing many deity-abodes and tīrthas.
Following yathokta-vidhi (the stated procedure) for tīrtha practice, along with darśana of temples, is referenced.