Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

निर्वाणकेशवश्चाहं भक्तनिर्वाणसूचकः । लोलार्कादुत्तरेभागे लोलत्वं चेतसो हरे

Transliteration

nirvāṇakeśavaścāhaṃ bhaktanirvāṇasūcakaḥ | lolārkāduttarebhāge lolatvaṃ cetaso hare

Translation

Je suis Nirvāṇa-Keśava, celui qui révèle le nirvāṇa aux dévots. Dans la contrée au nord de Lolārka, j’ôte l’inconstance et l’agitation du mental.

Word by Word

• nirvāṇakeśavaḥ: (I am) Nirvāṇa-Keśava
• nirvāṇakeśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvāṇa + keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (nirvāṇaḥ keśavaḥ = ‘Nirvāṇa-Keśava’ नाम)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhaktanirvāṇasūcakaḥ: the indicator of devotees’ liberation
• bhaktanirvāṇasūcakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta + nirvāṇa + sūcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (bhaktānāṃ nirvāṇasya sūcakaḥ = ‘indicator of devotees’ liberation’); nirvāṇakeśavaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• lolārkāt: from Lolārka
• lolārkāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lolārka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; स्थान-निर्देशे

• uttarebhāge: in the northern part
• uttarebhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (uttaraḥ bhāgaḥ)

• lolatvam: restlessness / fickleness
• lolatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lolatva (प्रातिपदिक; -tva)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• cetasaḥ: of the mind
• cetasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• hare: I remove
• hare: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī Khaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirvāṇa-Keśava (north of Lolārka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/reciters within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s tīrtha catalogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nirvāṇa-Keśava appears serene, with a quiet halo; a pilgrim sits in japa near a shrine north of Lolārka; the mind’s ‘lola’ is symbolized by a calming of rippling water into stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Nirvāṇa-Keśava
• Keśava
• Lolārka
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked with inner steadiness; the tīrtha’s grace is described as calming the mind’s wandering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine/area of Nirvāṇa-Keśava, located in the northern part beyond Lolārka in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied worship/approach to Nirvāṇa-Keśava for nirvāṇa-oriented devotion and removal of mental restlessness.