Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ताभ्यामतिसमीपस्थं शिवस्यायतनं शुभम् । महाव्रतधरस्तत्र तपस्यति सुनैष्ठिकः

Transliteration

tābhyāmatisamīpasthaṃ śivasyāyatanaṃ śubham | mahāvratadharastatra tapasyati sunaiṣṭhikaḥ

Translation

ആ രണ്ടു നദികൾക്കും അതിസമീപത്തിൽ ശിവന്റെ മംഗളകരമായ ആലയം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ മഹാവ്രതധാരിയായ, പരമനിഷ്ഠയുള്ള തപസ്വി തപസ്സു ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tābhyām: by/near those two (rivers)
• tābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम (gaṅgā-yamunābhyām)

• ati-samīpa-stham: situated very near
• ati-samīpa-stham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śivasya: of Shiva
• śivasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• āyatanam: abode, shrine
• āyatanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahā-vrata-dharaḥ: one who bears a great vow
• mahā-vrata-dharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक; √dhṛ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• tapasyati: practices austerity
• tapasyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tapas (तपस्/तप् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• su-naiṣṭhikaḥ: very steadfast
• su-naiṣṭhikaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + naiṣṭhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed questioner

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small auspicious Śiva shrine stands close to the twin rivers; beside it a steadfast ascetic, bearer of the Great Vow, performs intense austerities.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Hāṭakeśvara
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Mahāvrata (Great Vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are sanctified not only by geography but also by the presence of Śiva’s abode and disciplined vow-bearing ascetics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śiva-āyatana (Śiva shrine) situated close to the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence in the Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights tapas and the Mahāvrata as a spiritual discipline, rather than prescribing a specific public ritual.