Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

माहेन्द्रमग्निकल्पं च जयन्तं मारुतं तथा । वैष्णवं बहुरूपं च ज्यौतिषं च चतुर्दशम्

Transliteration

māhendramagnikalpaṃ ca jayantaṃ mārutaṃ tathā | vaiṣṇavaṃ bahurūpaṃ ca jyautiṣaṃ ca caturdaśam

Translation

മാഹേന്ദ്രം, അഗ്നികൽപം, ജയന്തം, മാരുതം; പിന്നെ വൈഷ്ണവം, ബഹുരൂപം, ജ്യൗതിഷം—ഇവയാണ് പതിനാലാമത്തെ (കൽപം) എന്നു അറിയുക.

Word by Word

• माहेन्द्रम्: (the) Māhendra (kalpa)
• माहेन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (Mahendra-related)

• अग्निकल्पम्: Agni-kalpa
• अग्निकल्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः कल्पः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जयन्तम्: Jayanta (kalpa/name)
• जयन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मारुतम्: Māruta (kalpa)
• मारुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (wind-related)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava (kalpa)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Viṣṇu-related)

• बहुरूपम्: many-formed
• बहुरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (बहूनि रूपाणि यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ज्यौतिषम्: Jyautiṣa (kalpa)
• ज्यौतिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्यौतिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (astral/astrological)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्दशम्: the fourteenth
• चतुर्दशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चतुर्दश = 14th)

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator (continuing the kalpa list)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (general mahatmya frame)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata / nṛpaśreṣṭha (king addressed in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator enumerates kalpas like a rosary of cosmic ages; behind him flows the dark, sacred Revā, while symbolic emblems of Indra (Māhendra), Agni, Vāyu, Viṣṇu, and a radiant jyotis appear as hovering icons.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Māhendra Kalpa
• Agni-kalpa
• Jayanta Kalpa
• Māruta Kalpa
• Vaiṣṇava Kalpa
• Bahurūpa Kalpa
• Jyautiṣa Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Mahātmya magnifies Narmadā by placing her within a grand cosmic framework, implying her merit transcends ordinary time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā, whose presence is being correlated with these kalpas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is an extension of the kalpa enumeration.