Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

हाटकेश्वरमित्युक्तमस्ति क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम् । लिंगस्य पतनाज्जातं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः

Transliteration

hāṭakeśvaramityuktamasti kṣetramanuttamam | liṃgasya patanājjātaṃ devadevasya śūlinaḥ

Translation

ഹാടകേശ്വരം എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ അനുത്തമമായ ഒരു പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം ഉണ്ട്; ദേവദേവനായ ത്രിശൂലധാരി ശിവന്റെ ലിംഗം അവതരിച്ച് പതിച്ചതിൽ നിന്നാണ് അതിന്റെ ഉദ്ഭവം.

Word by Word

• हाटकेश्वरम्: Hāṭakeśvara (name)
• हाटकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थे (quotative particle)

• उक्तम्: is called
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/called’

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षेत्रम्: a sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम्)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पतनात्: from the falling
• पतनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• जातम्: arisen, born
• जातम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम्)

• देवदेवस्य: of the god of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (देवः एव देवः)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (देवदेवस्य)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (as reported in Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga descends or ‘falls’ onto a sanctified ground; Śiva as Śūlin (trident-bearing) presides, while the landscape transforms into a luminous kṣetra with devotees and sages witnessing the epiphany.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Śiva (Śūlin, Devadeva)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva establishes protected centers of holiness; devotion to the liṅga connects devotees to an imperishable sacred presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is explicitly glorified as an unsurpassed sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it provides the kṣetra’s name and Śaiva origin (liṅga-avataraṇa).