Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

आकाशे तारकालिंगं पाताले हाटकेश्वरम् । स्वायंभुवं धारपृष्ठे तदेतत्त्रितयं समम्

Transliteration

ākāśe tārakāliṃgaṃ pātāle hāṭakeśvaram | svāyaṃbhuvaṃ dhārapṛṣṭhe tadetattritayaṃ samam

Translation

ในท้องฟ้ามีตารกา-ลึงค์ ในปาตาลมีหาฏเกศวร และบนผิวแห่งธารามีลึงค์สวายัมภู; ไตรภาคนี้เสมอกันทั้งในความศักดิ์สิทธิ์และอานุภาพ

Word by Word

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तारकालिङ्गम्: Tārakā-liṅga
• तारकालिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारका-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; तारका + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तारकायाः लिङ्गम्)

• पाताले: in the netherworld
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हाटकेश्वरम्: Hāṭakeśvara
• हाटकेश्वरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; हाटक + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हाटके ईश्वरः/हाटकस्य ईश्वरः)

• स्वायंभुवम्: Svāyaṃbhuva (self-manifest liṅga)
• स्वायंभुवम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + आयंभुव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम् इति शेषः)

• धारपृष्ठे: on the back/top of Dhārā
• धारपृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारपृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; धार + पृष्ठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धारायाः पृष्ठे)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रितयम्: the triad
• त्रितयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समम्: equal/alike
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्रितयम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tārakā-liṅga / Hāṭakeśvara / Dhārā-svāyaṃbhuva (triad)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic composition: upper sky with Tārakā-liṅga amid stars; middle earth with Dhārā’s svayambhu-liṅga in a temple; lower netherworld with Hāṭakeśvara amid golden caverns—three liṅgas connected by a luminous axis, labeled as equal.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Tārakāliṅga
• Hāṭakeśvara
• Svāyaṃbhuva (Liṅga)
• Pātāla
• Ākāśa
• Dhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence pervades all realms; liṅgas established in different cosmic regions are equally potent for devotion and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārā is referenced as the terrestrial locus of a svayaṃbhu-liṅga, alongside celestial and subterranean liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse establishes the equal greatness (samatva) of three liṅga manifestations.