Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

द्वितीयं तु द्वितीयेन भक्त्या पौलस्त्यनन्दनः । तावदेव महालिङ्गं पतितं नर्मदांभसि

Transliteration

dvitīyaṃ tu dvitīyena bhaktyā paulastyanandanaḥ | tāvadeva mahāliṅgaṃ patitaṃ narmadāṃbhasi

Translation

പിന്നെ പൗലസ്ത്യനന്ദനൻ അതേ ഭക്തിയോടെ രണ്ടാമത്തേതും ഉയർത്തി; അതേ നിമിഷം മഹാലിംഗം നർമദാജലത്തിൽ വീണു।

Word by Word

• द्वितीयम्: the second (one)
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम् इत्यादि) विशेषणम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• द्वितीयेन: with the second (liṅga)
• द्वितीयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘द्वितीयेन (लिङ्गेन)’ इति

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• पौलस्त्य-नन्दनः: son of Paulastya (Rāvaṇa)
• पौलस्त्य-नन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पौलस्त्यस्य नन्दनः)

• तावत्-एव: just then/at that very moment
• तावत्-एव: Discourse (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; परिमाण/कालवाचक ‘तावत्’ + अवधारण ‘एव’

• महा-लिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महा-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महद् लिङ्गम्)

• पतितम्: fell/has fallen
• पतितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महालिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विधेयम्

• नर्मदा-अम्भसि: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-अम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः अम्भसि)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalastha Mahāliṅga at Revā (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As the devotee lifts a second liṅga with equal devotion, a great liṅga suddenly slips/falls into the Narmadā, splashing and glowing as if choosing the river as its seat.

Characters & Entities

• Paulastya (lineage)
• Narmadā
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine events shape sacred geography: a liṅga’s descent into the river becomes a cause for tīrtha-manifestation and later merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Narmadā tīrtha arising from the fall of the Mahā-liṅga; the site is later identified with Garjana/Meghanāda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional handling and veneration of the liṅga (bhakti) is emphasized, setting the tone for later tīrtha-rites like snāna and dāna.