Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

परं हि नर्मदेशस्य महिमा कोपि चाद्भुतः । इत्युक्त्वा देवदेवेशस्तस्मिंल्लिंगे लयं ययौ

Transliteration

paraṃ hi narmadeśasya mahimā kopi cādbhutaḥ | ityuktvā devadeveśastasmiṃlliṃge layaṃ yayau

Translation

„Wahrlich, die Größe von Narmadeśa ist überaus wundersam.“ So sprechend ging der Herr der Götter in Versenkung ein und verschmolz in jenem Liṅga.

Word by Word

• परम्: exceedingly
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘अत्यन्तम्/विशेषतः’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): कारण/निश्चय ‘ह्येव/indeed’

• नर्मदेशस्य: of Narmadeśa (Narmadā’s Lord/region)
• नर्मदेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• महिमा: greatness
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कः: someone/any (some)
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थे ‘कोऽपि’

• अपि: even/also (forming ‘some’)
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): ‘अपि/also/even’; ‘कोऽपि’ इत्यत्र अनिश्चितार्थ-प्रदर्शक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• अद्भुतः: wonderful
• अद्भुतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (महिमा-विशेषण)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण-चिह्न/quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उक्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘कहकर’

• देवदेवेशः: Lord of the gods (Śiva)
• देवदेवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (शिवः)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• लिंगे: in the liṅga
• लिंगे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• लयम्: dissolution/absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (गमन-लक्ष्य)

• ययौ: went/entered
• ययौ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Maheśvara (first sentence); Narrator (second sentence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeśa / Narmadeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devadeveśa speaks the final praise of Narmadeśa; then his form dissolves as light into the Narmadeśvara liṅga, which glows intensely; devotees and Revā stand in awe and silence.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadeśa
• Narmadeśvara Liṅga
• Devadeveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness culminates in the doctrine of immanence—Śiva abides within the liṅga as living presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadeśa (the Narmadā sacred region) and the liṅga connected to it are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse concludes the māhātmya by affirming Śiva’s presence in the liṅga.