Essence Of Skanda Purana

Most Significant ‘Siva Kshetras’ as identified by Maha Deva

Devi Parvati’s query as which were the most significant Siva Kshetras, Maha Deva Himself announced the following sixty eight ones along with the details of corresponding Siva’s names:

Kasi (Vishwanath), Prayag (Maheswar), Naimisharanya (Deva Deva), Gaya Prapitamaha (Brahma), Kurukshetra (Sthanu), Prabhas (Shashishekhara), Pushkar (Ajagandhi), Visweshwara (Vishwa), Attahaas (Mahanaad), Mahendra (Mahavrat), Ujjain (Mahaakaal), Marukot (Mahotkat), Shankhakarna( Maha Teja), Gokarna ( Mahabal), Rudrakoti ( Maha Yoga), Sthaleswar (Mahalinga), Harshit (Harsha), Vrishabhadwaj ( Vrishabha), Kedar (Ishaana), Madhyamakeshwar (Sharva), Suparna (Sahasraankshu), Kartikeswara (Susukshma), Vastrapath (Bhav), Kanakhal (Ugra), Bhadrakarna (Siva), Dandak (Dandin), Tridanda (Urthvaretha), Kurujangal  (Chandisha), Ekamra (Krittivasa), Chhagleya (Kapardi), Kaalinjar (Neelakantha), Mandaleswar (Sri Kantha), Kashmir (Vijaya), Marudeswar (Jayanta), Harischandra (Hara), Puraschandra (Shankar), Vameswar (Jati), Kukkuteswar (Sowmya), Bhasmagatra ( Bhuteswar), Amarakanthak (Omkara), Trisandhya (Trayambak), Viraja (Trilochan), Omkareswar ( Deepta), Pashupatinath in Nepal (Pashupati), Dushkarna (Yamalinga), Karaveera (Kapali), Jaleswar (Trisuli), Sri Shaila (Tripurantak), Ayodhya      (Nageshwar), Patala (Haatakeswar), Kaarohan (Nakuleesha), Devika (Umapati), Bhairav  (Bhairavakar), Purvasaagar (Amar), Saptagodavari Tirtha (Bhim), Nirmaleswar (Shambhu), Karnikar (Ganadhyaksha), Kailasa ( Ganadhipa), Gangadwar (Himasthaan), Jala Linga (Jalapriya), Badabaagni (Anala), Badarikashwar (Bhima), Sreshthasthan (Kotiswar), Vindhyachal (Varaha), Hemakuntha (Virupaaksha ), Gandhamaadan ( Bhurbhuva),  Lingeswar ( Varada) and Lanka ( Naraantak).Bhagavan Siva told Devi Parvati that in a house if somebody recites the names of Siva three times a day, there would not be any threat from Bhutas, Pretas, diseases, illnesses, serpents, thefts, Kings or persons in power. Among the sixty eight Siva Kshetras aforementioned, eight of them are stated to be most noteworthy and these are Naimisharanya, Kedar, Pushkar, Kurujangal, Kasi, Kurukshetra, Prabhasa and Haathakeswar, where formal bathings are considered extremely Sacred and effective. The single most important Kshetra is however deemed to be that of Haatakeswara, as stated by Siva Himself.