Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ये चान्ये भास्करा स्तत्र संति ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे याज्ञवल्क्यप्रतिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ye cānye bhāskarā statra saṃti brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre yājñavalkyapratiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—ஓ பிராமணச் சிறந்தோரே, அங்கே ஹாடகேஸ்வர க்ஷேத்ரத்தில் யாஜ்ஞவல்க்யர் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்த பாஸ்கரனின் (சூரியனின்) பிற வடிவங்களும் உள்ளன।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धा॒तु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• anye: other
• anye: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhāskarāḥ: Bhāskaras (name/class)
• bhāskarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• santi: are
• santi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धा॒तु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• hāṭakeśvara-je: in/at (the place) born of/pertaining to Hāṭakeśvara
• hāṭakeśvara-je: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāṭakeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṣetre: in the sacred field
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yājñavalkya-pratiṣṭhitāḥ: established by Yājñavalkya
• yājñavalkya-pratiṣṭhitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yājñavalkya (प्रातिपदिक) + pratiṣṭhita (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā क्त with prati-)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Bhāskara-pratiṣṭhā-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addresses sages, describing a sacred field where multiple Bhāskara icons stand—each radiant, installed by Yājñavalkya; nearby, the Śiva-kṣetra atmosphere remains palpable.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Yājñavalkya
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is multi-layered: alongside Śaiva sanctity, it can hold powerful Saurya (Sun) installations established by revered sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, presented as a place where Bhāskara forms are installed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription yet; it introduces the presence and origin (pratiṣṭhā) of the Bhāskara forms.