Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । वाराणस्यां महादेवं प्रयागे च महेश्वरम् । नैमिषे देवदेवं च गयायां प्रपितामहम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevaṃ prayāge ca maheśvaram | naimiṣe devadevaṃ ca gayāyāṃ prapitāmaham

Translation

Īśvara dit : «À Vārāṇasī, on Me loue comme Mahādeva ; à Prayāga, comme Maheśvara ; à Naimiṣa, comme Devadeva ; et à Gayā, comme Prapitāmaha».

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mahādevam: Mahādeva
• mahādevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-deva (प्रातिपदिक; mahā + deva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• prayāge: in Prayāga
• prayāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; mahā + īśvara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• naimiṣe: in Naimiṣa
• naimiṣe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• devadevam: Devadeva (god of gods)
• devadevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-deva (प्रातिपदिक; deva + deva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (देवानां देवः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• gayāyām: in Gayā
• gayāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• prapitāmaham: Prapitāmaha (the great-grandfather; a divine epithet)
• prapitāmaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक; pra + pitāmaha)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रकृष्टः पितामहः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Prayāga / Naimiṣa / Gayā (catalogue verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like montage: Kāśī’s ghats and Viśvanātha shrine; Prayāga’s tri-venī sangam; Naimiṣa’s forest hermitages; Gayā’s śrāddha rites—each labeled with Śiva’s epithet.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Prayāga
• Naimiṣa
• Gayā
• Mahādeva
• Maheśvara
• Devadeva
• Prapitāmaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One divine reality is honored through different nāmas according to tīrtha, teaching unity expressed through sacred local traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), Prayāga, Naimiṣa, and Gayā—each linked with a particular divine epithet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescription: chant/praise the deity using the tīrtha-appropriate name (Mahādeva in Kāśī, etc.).