Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
ईश्वर उवाच । अष्टानामपि देवेशि क्षेत्राणामस्ति चोत्तमम् । एतेषामपि तत्क्षेत्रं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्
īśvara uvāca | aṣṭānāmapi deveśi kṣetrāṇāmasti cottamam | eteṣāmapi tatkṣetraṃ hāṭakeśvarasaṃjñitam
ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ ദേവേശീ! ഈ എട്ട് പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിൽ ഒന്നാണ് പരമോത്തമം; അവയിൽ ആ ക്ഷേത്രം ‘ഹാടകേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: Īśvara addresses Devī, proclaiming a supreme kṣetra named Hāṭakeśvara among eight sacred fields; the moment is declarative and hieratic, with a sense of revelation.
FAQs
Purāṇic dharma teaches hierarchical sacred geography: a ‘supreme’ kṣetra concentrates the fruits of many pilgrimages.
Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is declared the best among the eight renowned kṣetras.
Implicitly, one should prioritize pilgrimage and worship connected with Hāṭakeśvara; explicit rites appear in surrounding verses.