Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तिस्रः कोट्योऽर्धकोटिश्च तीर्थानां द्विजसत्तमाः । हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं व्याप्य सर्वं व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tisraḥ koṭyo'rdhakoṭiśca tīrthānāṃ dvijasattamāḥ | hāṭakeśvarajaṃ kṣetraṃ vyāpya sarvaṃ vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ! മൂന്ന് കോടി കൂടാതെ മറ്റൊരു അർദ്ധകോടി തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ ഹാടകേശ്വരക്ഷേത്രം മുഴുവൻ വ്യാപിച്ചു സ്ഥാപിതമായിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अर्धकोटिः: half a crore
• अर्धकोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (अर्धा कोटिः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तीर्थानाम्: of pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense though form is nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• हाटकेश्वरजम्: born from/connected with Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हाटकेश्वरात् जातम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय (indeclinable)

• सर्वम्: all, the whole
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थिताः: are stationed/abide
• व्यवस्थिताः: Kriya/Predicate (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+अव+स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकर्तरि (Past Participle; here adjectival), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (as sarva-tīrtha-ādhāra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ (dvija-sattamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta proclaims an immense number of tīrthas filling the Hāṭakeśvara region; the landscape appears studded with countless waterbodies, shrines, and sacred markers radiating from a central Śiva presence.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Hāṭakeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra can be understood as a sacred ecosystem—many tīrthas collectively intensify the field of merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is highlighted as being filled with innumerable tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse establishes the vast presence of tīrthas as the basis for later practices like snāna and dāna.