Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सिद्धिस्थानानि सर्वाणि तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे स्थितानि वै । वीरव्रतप्रयुक्तानां मानवानां द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

siddhisthānāni sarvāṇi tasminkṣetre sthitāni vai | vīravrataprayuktānāṃ mānavānāṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ സത്യമായും എല്ലാ ‘സിദ്ധിസ്ഥലങ്ങളും’ സ്ഥിതമാണ്; അവ വീരവ്രതത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ട മനുഷ്യർക്കു (ഫലദായകമാണ്).

Word by Word

• सिद्धिस्थानानि: places of attainment
• सिद्धिस्थानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सिद्धेः स्थानानि = places of accomplishment)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सिद्धिस्थानानि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितानि: situated/located
• स्थितानि: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सिद्धिस्थानानि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वीरव्रतप्रयुक्तानाम्: of those engaged in the vīra-vrata
• वीरव्रतप्रयुक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयुक्त (√युज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘वीरव्रते प्रयुक्त’ (engaged in heroic vow); मानवानाम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• मानवानाम्: of men/humans
• मानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः द्विजाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (addressed as dvijottamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred landscape within the kṣetra: multiple small shrines/altars marked as siddhi-sthānas; ascetics and vow-keepers perform austerities—standing, meditating, offering water—under Śiva’s unseen guardianship.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A consecrated kṣetra can contain multiple spiritually potent loci; disciplined vows (vrata) make a person fit to access their fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kṣetra of this chapter—centered on Citreśvarīpīṭha and Hāṭakeśvara—praised as containing many siddhi-sthānas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engagement in vīra-vrata (heroic vow-discipline) is recommended as the qualifying practice.