Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तत्राद्यं स्थापितं लिंगं हाटकेन सुरोत्तमैः । यत्तत्संकीर्त्यते लोके पाताले हाटकेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tatrādyaṃ sthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ hāṭakena surottamaiḥ | yattatsaṃkīrtyate loke pātāle hāṭakeśvaram

Translation

അവിടെ ഹാടകൻ ദേവോത്തമന്മാരോടൊപ്പം ആദ്യം ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. അതേ ധാമം ലോകത്തിൽ ‘പാതാള ഹാടകേശ്വരം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आद्यम्: first; original
• आद्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थापितम्: installed
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘स्थापित’ (causative of √स्था); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हाटकेन: by Hāṭaka
• हाटकेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सुरोत्तमैः: by the best of gods
• सुरोत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः सुराः)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तदनुयोगी (correlative)

• संकीर्त्यते: is celebrated
• संकीर्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) (सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘is celebrated/recited’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पाताले: in Pātāla (netherworld)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरम्: Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-uttama / muni interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and a figure named Hāṭaka perform the first installation of a radiant Śiva-liṅga; the scene hints at subterranean/otherworldly fame—Pātāla motifs like nāgas or jeweled caverns subtly appear.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Hāṭaka
• gods (surottamas)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence is anchored through the liṅga, making the kṣetra a living conduit of purification and divine accessibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara—famed as a Śiva-liṅga connected with Pātāla, and worshipped/remembered in the human world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, worship/recitation of the name (saṃkīrtana) of Hāṭakeśvara; explicit rites appear in subsequent verses.