Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तस्मात्थापय लिंगं तद्धाटकेन द्विजोत्तम । हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञं तु लोके ख्यातं भविष्यति

Transliteration

tasmātthāpaya liṃgaṃ taddhāṭakena dvijottama | hāṭakeśvarasaṃjñaṃ tu loke khyātaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! ആ ലിംഗം ഹാടകം (സ്വർണം) ഉപയോഗിച്ച് സ്ഥാപിക്ക; അത് ലോകത്തിൽ ‘ഹാടകേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാകും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्येतत् अव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverbial use); ‘therefore’

• स्थापय: install/establish
• स्थापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्थापयति)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

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

• तत्: with that
• तत्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘with that’ (referring to hāṭaka/gold)

• हाटकेन: with gold
• हाटकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘with gold’

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञम्: named ‘Hāṭakeśvara’
• हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘named Hāṭakeśvara’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात); ‘indeed/but’

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

• ख्यातम्: renowned
• ख्यातम्: Visheshya-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘renowned’

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (Śrī Bhagavān)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (Citraśarman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs the brāhmaṇa to establish a golden liṅga; artisans prepare a gleaming hāṭaka liṅga on a pedestal, with ritual vessels ready; the future fame ‘Hāṭakeśvara’ is suggested by celebratory onlookers and temple banners.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Hāṭakeśvara
• Hāṭaka (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes enduringly celebrated when worship is grounded in divine instruction and consecration performed with purity and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara is directly glorified as a world-renowned Śiva-liṅga established through this consecration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation) using hāṭaka (gold), implying a formal pratiṣṭhā/consecration leading to the site’s fame.