Shloka 21

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य

The Greatness of Avimukta–Vārāṇasī and Viśveśvara

Devanagari script

एतन्मम पुरं दिव्यं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं प्रिये । ब्रह्मादयोऽपि जानंति माहात्म्यं नास्य पार्वति

Transliteration

etanmama puraṃ divyaṃ guhyādguhyataraṃ priye | brahmādayo'pi jānaṃti māhātmyaṃ nāsya pārvati

Translation

Beloved, this is My divine city—more secret than the secret itself. Even Brahmā and the other gods do not know its true greatness, O Pārvatī.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/subject-complement)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• गुह्यात्: than the secret
• गुह्यात्: Apādāna (अपादान/from)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादान (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक; तर्तम-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; comparative adjective)

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• ब्रह्मादयः: Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्मादयः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); समासः—आदि-तत्पुरुष (X-and-others)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; ‘even/also’)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present Indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person plural)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of it)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• पार्वति: O Pārvatī
• पार्वति: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Visvanatha

Sthala Purana: Śiva reveals to Pārvatī that His own ‘divine city’ (Kāśī/Avimukta) is an esoteric realm whose full māhātmya is unknowable even to Brahmā and the devas—signaling Kāśī as Śiva’s never-abandoned kṣetra and the locus of the Viśveśvara Jyotirliṅga.

Significance: Darśana of Viśveśvara and residence/dying in Kāśī are portrayed as uniquely efficacious for mokṣa due to Śiva’s special presence and grace there.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Parvati

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Brahma

FAQs

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

The verse emphasizes that Shiva’s abode and its māhātmya are transcendent and not fully graspable even by cosmic deities; access is gained through Shiva’s grace and devoted surrender, aligning with Shaiva Siddhanta’s stress on Pati’s revelation over mere intellect.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By calling the abode ‘most secret,’ Shiva indicates that the divine presence is veiled to ordinary perception; in pilgrimage-kshetras and Jyotirlinga worship, the Linga functions as Saguna Shiva’s accessible form through which devotees receive that hidden reality by bhakti and proper worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to approach Shiva’s sacred places and the Linga with humility and mantra-bhakti—especially japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—supported by traditional purity observances such as bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrāksha as aids to focused devotion.