Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नैरृतेश्वरं च नैरृत्यां वायव्यां पावनेश्वरम् । केदारं मृत्युलोके च तथैव अमरेस्वरम्

Transliteration

nairṛteśvaraṃ ca nairṛtyāṃ vāyavyāṃ pāvaneśvaram | kedāraṃ mṛtyuloke ca tathaiva amaresvaram

Translation

ನೈಋತ (ದಕ್ಷಿಣ-ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ) ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೈಋತೇಶ್ವರ, ವಾಯವ್ಯ (ಉತ್ತರ-ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ) ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾವನೇಶ್ವರ; ಮತ್ತು ಮೃತ್ಯುಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ (ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ) ಕೇದಾರ ಹಾಗೂ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಅಮರೇಶ್ವರ ಇವೆ।

Word by Word

• नैरृतेश्वरम्: Nairṛteśvara
• नैरृतेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृतेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: नैरृत + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• नैरृत्याम्: in the Nairṛta (southwest) quarter
• नैरृत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (नैरृत-दिशि)

• वायव्याम्: in the Vāyu (northwest) quarter
• वायव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (वायव्य-दिशि)

• पावनेश्वरम्: Pāvaneśvara
• पावनेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावनेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: पावन + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नाम

• केदारम्: Kedāra
• केदारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नाम

• मृत्युलोके: in the mortal world
• मृत्युलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युलोक (प्रातिपदिक: मृत्यु + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• अमरेश्वरम्: Amareśvara
• अमरेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: अमर + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नाम; (पाठे "अमरेस्वरम्" = ई/ए-व्यत्यय-लेखन)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra; (earthly) Amareśvara; Nairṛteśvara; Pāvaneśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Directional guardians in their quarters—Nairṛteśvara in the southwest with protective, boundary symbolism; Pāvaneśvara in the northwest with wind motifs; then a shift to earth: Kedāra nestled among snowy peaks, inviting mortals to approach.

Characters & Entities

• Nairṛteśvara
• Nairṛti (direction)
• Pāvaneśvara
• Vāyu (direction)
• Kedāra
• Amareśvara
• Mṛtyuloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse situates Śiva’s liṅgas in cosmic directions and on earth, implying that devotion connects the mortal realm to the divine order of the universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedarnath) is explicitly mentioned as a major earthly liṅga-site within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on naming and locating revered liṅgas for remembrance and pilgrimage orientation.