Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्क्षेत्रं सेव्यमेव हि । मानुषैर्मोक्षमिच्छद्भिः सत्यमेतन्म योदितम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatkṣetraṃ sevyameva hi | mānuṣairmokṣamicchadbhiḥ satyametanma yoditam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെയും ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തെ നിശ്ചയമായി സേവിക്കണം; മോക്ഷം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യർക്കായി—ഇത് ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിച്ച സത്യം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे (ablative used adverbially)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘सर्वः प्रयत्नः’ इति कर्मधारय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सेव्यम्: to be served/attended
• सेव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), विधेय ‘to be served’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)

• मानुषैः: by humans
• मानुषैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इच्छद्भिः: desiring
• इच्छद्भिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Pratipādya (That which is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उदितम्: spoken
• उदितम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + वद्/वच् (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), अर्थः ‘said/uttered’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s emphatic instruction: ‘with every effort, serve that kṣetra’—a didactic moment with Devī listening attentively; pilgrims in the background performing sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mokṣa
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa-oriented life prioritizes contact with sanctified space: serving the supreme kṣetra is presented as a direct support for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘tat-kṣetra’ refers to Hāṭakeśvara, previously identified as the best among the eight kṣetras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā of the kṣetra—i.e., devoted visitation, worship, and participation in its tīrtha practices (including snāna by context).