Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

किं दानैः किं क्रियाकांडैः किं यज्ञैः किं व्रतैरपि । तत्क्षेत्रं सेवयेद्भक्त्या हाटकेश्वरसंभवम्

Transliteration

kiṃ dānaiḥ kiṃ kriyākāṃḍaiḥ kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ vratairapi | tatkṣetraṃ sevayedbhaktyā hāṭakeśvarasaṃbhavam

Translation

ദാനങ്ങളാൽ എന്ത്, ക്രിയാകാണ്ഡങ്ങളാൽ എന്ത്, യജ്ഞങ്ങളാൽ എന്ത്, വ്രതങ്ങളാലും എന്ത് പ്രയോജനം? ഭക്തിയോടെ ഹാടകേശ്വരസംബന്ധമായ ആ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം തന്നെയാകണം സേവിക്കേണ്ടത്।

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक/निन्दार्थक (what use?)

• दानैः: with gifts/charity
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; प्रश्नार्थक

• क्रियाकाण्डैः: with ritual performances
• क्रियाकाण्डैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्रियाणां काण्डाः = ritual sections)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; प्रश्नार्थक

• यज्ञैः: with sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; प्रश्नार्थक

• व्रतैः: with vows
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

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

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सेवयेत्: should worship/resort to
• सेवयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (impersonal injunction: “one should”)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरसंभवम्: originating from Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरसंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हाटकेश्वरात् संभवम् = arising from Hāṭakeśvara) विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continued discourse in Adhyāya 16)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (within Raktaśṛṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before a Śiva shrine of Hāṭakeśvara in a sacred region: minimal offerings (water pot, bilva leaves), hands folded. In the background, symbolic items of grand rituals (yajña-kuṇḍa, ladles, gifts) fade or are set aside, emphasizing devotion over complexity.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional approach to a sacred Śaiva kṣetra is presented as surpassing many external religious performances when done with sincere bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra connected with Hāṭakeśvara (a Śiva form/site).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-sevā: visiting/serving the holy region with devotion; it implicitly relativizes dāna, yajña, and vrata compared to bhakti-filled pilgrimage.