Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं मत्वा पुण्यं सुसिद्धिदम् । पित्रा यत्र तपस्तप्तमंधकेन दुरात्मना

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvarajaṃ kṣetraṃ matvā puṇyaṃ susiddhidam | pitrā yatra tapastaptamaṃdhakena durātmanā

Translation

ഹാടകേശ്വരക്ഷേത്രം പുണ്യവും ഉത്തമസിദ്ധിദായകവും എന്നു കരുതി അവൻ അവിടേക്ക് പോയി; അവിടെയാണ് ദുഷ്ടഹൃദയനായ അവന്റെ പിതാവ് അന്ധകൻ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തിരുന്നത്.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरजम्: born from/connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर-ज (प्रातिपदिक; हाटकेश्वर + ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field; holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), ‘having considered/knowing’

• पुण्यम्: meritorious; holy
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• सुसिद्धिदम्: bestowing good accomplishment
• सुसिद्धिदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-सिद्धि-द (प्रातिपदिक; सु + सिद्धि + द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• पित्रा: by the father
• पित्रा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (instr. sg.)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्ययम्/देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb: where)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (nom. sg. neut.)

• तप्तम्: was performed
• तप्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘performed/undertaken’

• अन्धकेन: by Andhaka
• अन्धकेन: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (instr. sg.)

• दुरात्मना: by the wicked-souled one
• दुरात्मना: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (instr. sg. masc.)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛka approaches the famed Hāṭakeśvara sacred region, recalling that Andhaka once performed severe austerities there; the landscape feels charged with spiritual power.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Andhaka
• Vṛka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra’s sanctity can grant siddhi; yet the moral quality of the seeker shapes how that power unfolds within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is explicitly praised as puṇya and su-siddhi-dam (a giver of great attainments).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the practice performed at this kṣetra, though no specific vow-method is detailed here.