Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं शृणुते नरः । न तस्य पुण्यसंख्यानं कर्तुं शक्येत केनचित्

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvarakṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇute naraḥ | na tasya puṇyasaṃkhyānaṃ kartuṃ śakyeta kenacit

Translation

ഹാടകേശ്വര ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം ആരെങ്കിലും ശ്രവിച്ചാൽ, അവന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യത്തിന്റെ അളവ് ആരാലും കണക്കാക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य: of the Hāṭakeśvara sacred field
• हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘of the Hāṭakeśvara-field (sacred area)’

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (māhātmya)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object of hearing

• शृणुते: he hears
• शृणुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘he listens/hears’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — subject

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — not

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘of him/of that’

• पुण्यसंख्यानम्: enumeration of merits
• पुण्यसंख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या/√ख्यै धात्वर्थ ‘to count’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘counting/enumeration of merit’

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive) — ‘to do/to make’

• शक्येत: would be possible
• शक्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः, ‘could be possible’

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — indefinite ‘by anyone’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: māhātmya narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims and sages gathered as the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya is recited; a radiant Śiva-liṅga or temple emblem subtly emanates light, symbolizing immeasurable puṇya.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening (śravaṇa) to a tīrtha’s māhātmya yields immeasurable puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, a Śaiva sacred region praised in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is śravaṇa—hearing the māhātmya with faith.