Shloka 25

Manu’s Progeny and the Birth of Iḍā

Genealogy and Dharma-Choice

Devanagari script

आनर्तविषये यस्य पुरी नाम कुशस्थली । महादिव्या सप्तपुरीमध्ये या सप्तमी मता

Transliteration

ānartaviṣaye yasya purī nāma kuśasthalī | mahādivyā saptapurīmadhye yā saptamī matā

Translation

In the land of Ānarta there is a city called Kuśasthalī. Supremely divine, it is revered as the seventh among the seven sacred cities, the Saptapurī.

Word by Word

• ānarta-viṣaye: in the region of Ānarta
• ānarta-viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (ānartasya viṣayaḥ)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; relative pronoun

• purī: city
• purī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nāma: named
• nāma: Visheshana (विशेषण/Specifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle meaning 'by name/namely' (नाम-प्रयोग)

• kuśasthalī: Kuśasthalī
• kuśasthalī: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśasthalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper noun

• mahā-divyā: very divine
• mahā-divyā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय-समास (mahā ca sā divyā ca)

• sapta-purī-madhye: among the seven sacred cities
• sapta-purī-madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (saptapurīṇāṃ madhye)

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• saptamī: the seventh
• saptamī: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ordinal/label

• matā: is considered
• matā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Predicative (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √man (धातु) → mata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past passive participle (क्त/ktá) used adjectivally

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Kuśasthalī is praised as a supremely divine city within Ānarta and counted among the Saptapurīs; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style glorification rather than a Jyotirliṅga origin.

Significance: Merit of residing/visiting a Saptapurī—purificatory benefit and dharmic uplift; supports liberation-oriented tīrtha culture.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It identifies Kuśasthalī in Ānarta as a moksha-oriented sacred kṣetra, placing it within the Saptapurī framework—locations traditionally praised as especially conducive to purification and liberation through devotion to Shiva.

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

By marking the city as ‘mahādivyā’ and part of the Saptapurī, the text implies it is a favored setting for Saguna Shiva worship—typically expressed through temple presence, Linga-darśana, and kṣetra-smaraṇa (remembrance of the holy place).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage with Shiva-bhakti: perform Linga-darśana, japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and maintain purity through simple vrata-like discipline while residing or visiting the kṣetra.