Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ओंकारं नर्मदायां च महाकालं तथैव च । काश्यां विश्वेश्वरं देवं प्रयागे ललितेश्वरम्

Transliteration

oṃkāraṃ narmadāyāṃ ca mahākālaṃ tathaiva ca | kāśyāṃ viśveśvaraṃ devaṃ prayāge laliteśvaram

Translation

Sur la Narmadā se trouve Oṃkāra ; et de même Mahākāla. À Kāśī réside le dieu Viśveśvara ; et à Prayāga, Laliteśvara.

Word by Word

• oṃkāram: Om̐kāra (a Śiva-liṅga/name)
• oṃkāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• narmadāyām: in (the region of) the Narmadā
• narmadāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

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

• mahākālam: Mahākāla
• mahākālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् कालः)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

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

• kāśyām: in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• viśveśvaram: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to viśveśvaram)

• prayāge: in Prayāga
• prayāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• laliteśvaram: Laliteśvara
• laliteśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalitā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ललितायाः ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāreśvara (Narmadā), Mahākāla (Ujjayinī), Viśveśvara (Kāśī), Laliteśvara (Prayāga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s vision-map: four sacred nodes—Narmadā’s island shrine of Oṃkāra, Ujjain’s Mahākāla with trident and cremation-ground aura, Kāśī’s Viśveśvara amid ghāṭs and lamps, and Prayāga’s sangama with Śiva as Laliteśvara blessing bathers.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Oṃkāra
• Mahākāla
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśvara
• Prayāga
• Laliteśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage geography is framed as theology: each famed place reveals a distinctive aspect of Śiva, guiding devotees toward remembrance, worship, and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Viśveśvara), Prayāga (Laliteśvara), and the Narmadā region (Oṃkāra) are highlighted as premier Śaiva tirthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse supports tirtha-smaraṇa (sacred remembrance) and pilgrimage motivation.