Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यत्र रक्षत्यधस्ताच्च स स्वयं हाटकेश्वरः । उपरिष्टात्प्रदेशं च कलौ देवोऽचलेश्वरः

Transliteration

yatra rakṣatyadhastācca sa svayaṃ hāṭakeśvaraḥ | upariṣṭātpradeśaṃ ca kalau devo'caleśvaraḥ

Translation

അവിടെ താഴെയുള്ള പ്രദേശത്തെ സ്വയം ഹാടകേശ്വരൻ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു; കൂടാതെ കലിയുഗത്തിൽ മുകളിലെ പ്രദേശത്തെ ദേവൻ അചലേശ്വരൻ കാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (below)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः एव (emphatic adverb)

• हाटकेश्वरः: Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

• उपरिष्टात्: above
• उपरिष्टात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (above)

• प्रदेशम्: the region/area
• प्रदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणम्

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अचलेश्वरः: Acaleśvara
• अचलेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अचलस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the Ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (lower) and Acaleśvara (upper)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bifurcated sacred landscape: lower precinct with Hāṭakeśvara-liṅga radiating protective power; upper precinct crowned by Acaleśvara on a rocky rise (‘acala’), both emitting protective halos over pilgrims and the terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Acaleśvara
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in a kṣetra is not abstract—He actively guards sacred space, especially in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara–Acaleśvara kṣetra described in this adhyāya, with distinct protected regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes divine protection and sacred geography.