Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तथा ते लिंगिनो दान्ताः सिद्धिकामाः समंततः । समाश्रयंति तत्क्षेत्रं सवर्तीर्थसमा श्रयम्

Transliteration

tathā te liṃgino dāntāḥ siddhikāmāḥ samaṃtataḥ | samāśrayaṃti tatkṣetraṃ savartīrthasamā śrayam

Translation

അങ്ങനെ തന്നെ ലിംഗധാരികളായ ദാന്ത തപസ്വികൾ സിദ്ധി ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് എല്ലാ ദിക്കുകളിൽ നിന്നുമെത്തി, സർവ്വ തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾക്കും തുല്യമായ ആശ്രയസ്ഥാനമായ ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തെ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (pronoun: masculine nominative plural)

• लिङ्गिनः: wearers of the liṅga / liṅga-bearers
• लिङ्गिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (masculine nominative plural)

• दान्ताः: self-controlled, restrained
• दान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (कृदन्त; √दम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally: ‘tamed/controlled’)

• सिद्धिकामाः: desiring siddhi (spiritual attainments)
• सिद्धिकामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi-kāma (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्धि + काम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (siddhyāḥ kāmaḥ: desirous of success/powers)

• समन्ततः: from all sides, everywhere
• समन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘from all sides/everywhere’)

• समाश्रयन्ति: take refuge in, resort to
• समाश्रयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• तत्क्षेत्रम्: that sacred field (holy place)
• तत्क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad-kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘that’ + ‘field/holy place’)

• सर्वतीर्थसमम्: equal to all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थसमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-tīrtha-sama (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (sarvatīrthaiḥ samaḥ: equal to all tīrthas)

• श्रयम्: refuge, resort
• श्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience: best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field with a central shrine; disciplined ascetics (liṅgins) arrive from the four directions, carrying kamaṇḍalu and daṇḍa, taking shelter near the kṣetra’s precincts under banyan and aśvattha trees.

Characters & Entities

• Ascetics (liṅginaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control and disciplined practice flourish in a charged sacred landscape; the kṣetra supports higher spiritual aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

That renowned kṣetra (connected with Hāṭakeśvara) is praised as a refuge whose merit equals that of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes renunciant discipline (dama) and the pursuit of siddhi through residence in the kṣetra.