Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आनर्तविषयेऽस्माभिरागच्छद्भिस्तवांतिकम् । दृष्टमत्यद्भुतं क्षेत्रं हाटकेश्वरजं महत् । तत्र लिंगानि दृष्टानि भूपतीनां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

ānartaviṣaye'smābhirāgacchadbhistavāṃtikam | dṛṣṭamatyadbhutaṃ kṣetraṃ hāṭakeśvarajaṃ mahat | tatra liṃgāni dṛṣṭāni bhūpatīnāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

ആനർത്തദേശത്ത് നിങ്ങളുടെ സന്നിധിയിലേക്കു വരുമ്പോൾ ഹാടകേശ്വരനോട് ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട അത്യദ്ഭുതവും മഹത്തുമായ ഒരു ക്ഷേത്രഭൂമി ഞങ്ങൾ കണ്ടു. അവിടെ മഹാത്മരാജാക്കന്മാർ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച ലിംഗങ്ങളെ ദർശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• आनर्तविषये: in the Ānarta region
• आनर्तविषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आनर्तस्य विषयः)

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आगच्छद्भिः: (by us) who were coming
• आगच्छद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + आगच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of us: 'coming')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्तिकम्: near (you); proximity
• अन्तिकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे (towards)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (was seen)

• अति: very; exceedingly
• अति: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier: 'very/exceedingly')

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful; marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field; holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरजम्: originating from Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाटकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हाटकेश्वरात्/हाटकेश्वरस्य जातम् = born/originating from Hāṭakeśvara)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas; emblems
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दृष्टानि: were seen
• दृष्टानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (were seen)

• भूपतीनाम्: of kings
• भूपतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूः पतिः = lord of the earth)

• महात्मनाम्: of great-souled (ones)
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (audience of the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma recounts seeing an extraordinarily wondrous great kṣetra of Hāṭakeśvara in Ānarta, filled with liṅgas established by great kings.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• Hāṭakeśvara
• Liṅga
• Bhūpati (kings)
• Viṣṇu (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage reveals hidden sanctuaries: a kṣetra’s greatness is shown by divine association (Hāṭakeśvara) and enduring dharmic works like liṅga-establishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, encountered in Ānarta-deśa (as described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Tīrthamāhātmya, Adhyāya 73).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing Śiva-liṅgas) by righteous kings; explicit rites are not detailed in this verse.