Shloka 53

The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power

Devanagari script

चंद्रार्द्धमौलयः सर्वे ललाटाक्षा वृषध्वजाः । प्राणांस्त्यजंति ये तत्र प्राणिन स्तत्त्वतः शुभे ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

caṃdrārddhamaulayaḥ sarve lalāṭākṣā vṛṣadhvajāḥ | prāṇāṃstyajaṃti ye tatra prāṇina stattvataḥ śubhe || 53 ||

Translation

O Du Glückverheißender, alle Wesen, die dort wahrhaft ihren Lebenshauch aufgeben, werden dem Wesen nach wie Śiva selbst—mit dem Halbmond auf dem Haupt, dem Auge auf der Stirn und dem Stier als Zeichen auf dem Banner.

Word by Word

• śubhe: O auspicious lady

• sarve: all

• caṃdrārddha-maulayaḥ: having the half-moon as a crest (on the head)

• lalāṭa-akṣāḥ: having an eye on the forehead (three-eyed)

• vṛṣa-dhvajāḥ: whose banner/emblem is the bull

• prāṇinaḥ: living beings

• ye: who

• tatra: there (in that tīrtha/place)

• prāṇān tyajanti: abandon the vital breaths / die

• tattvataḥ: in reality, essentially / truly (as to their true state).

Speaker

Narada (narration within a Tirtha-Mahatmya passage; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumara lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It states the mahatmya (spiritual potency) of a particular sacred place: dying there is portrayed as conferring Śiva-sārūpya—attaining a form or state aligned with Śiva’s defining marks (crescent moon, third eye, bull emblem).

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By highlighting Śiva’s iconic attributes as the fruit, the verse encourages faith and reverence toward the deity and the tīrtha; such śraddhā and surrender are core bhakti impulses within tīrtha-mahātmyas.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught directly; the verse mainly uses Purāṇic symbolism and tīrtha-mahātmyā doctrine rather than śikṣā/vyākaraṇa/jyotiṣa or ritual procedural detail.