Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यावंत्यो दृषदः संति तव रोधसि नर्मदे । तावंत्यो लिंगरूपिण्यो भविष्यंति वरान्मम

Transliteration

yāvaṃtyo dṛṣadaḥ saṃti tava rodhasi narmade | tāvaṃtyo liṃgarūpiṇyo bhaviṣyaṃti varānmama

Translation

«Ô Narmadā, autant il y a de pierres sur tes rives, autant deviendront-elles des formes de liṅga, par la puissance de ma grâce.»

Word by Word

• यावन्त्यः: as many as
• यावन्त्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• दृषदः: stones, rocks
• दृषदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• रोधसि: on the bank
• रोधसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• नर्मदे: O Narmada
• नर्मदे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तावन्त्यः: so many
• तावन्त्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• लिङ्ग: liṅga (Shiva-emblem)
• लिङ्ग: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (member of compound)

• रूपिण्यः: having liṅga-form
• रूपिण्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: लिङ्ग + रूपिन् (having the form of a liṅga)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वरात्: from (my) boon
• वरात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of Narmadā’s banks strewn with countless smooth stones, each subtly glowing as a liṅga-form; Śiva’s boon radiates across the landscape, pilgrims in the distance collecting water and offering bilva.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography can embody divinity: Śiva manifests as liṅga-forms within the tīrtha itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The banks of the Narmadā (Revā) are exalted as naturally filled with liṅga-presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverence and worship of the liṅga-forms found along the Narmadā’s banks.