Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

एते चान्ये च गणपा असंख्याता महाबलाः । सर्वे सहस्रहस्ताश्च जटामुकुटधारीणः

Transliteration

ete cānye ca gaṇapā asaṃkhyātā mahābalāḥ | sarve sahasrahastāśca jaṭāmukuṭadhārīṇaḥ

Translation

Diese und viele andere Gaṇa-Führer — unzählbar und von gewaltiger Kraft — kamen dorthin. Alle waren tausendhändig und trugen Kronen aus Jaṭā, den heiligen verfilzten Haarflechten.

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun: these)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• गणपाः: gaṇa-leaders/attendants
• गणपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; भूतकृदन्तः: √ख्या (to count) + क्त (संख्यात) with नञ्-समास (असंख्यात = uncounted)

• महाबलाः: very strong/mighty
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारयः (महद् बलं येषाम्)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सहस्रहस्ताः: having a thousand hands
• सहस्रहस्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; बहुव्रीहिः (सहस्रं हस्ताः येषाम्)

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

• जटामुकुटधारीणः: wearing matted-hair crowns
• जटामुकुटधारीणः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा + मुकुट + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (जटामुकुटं धारयन्ति इति/धारिणः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, almost uncountable host of gaṇa-leaders fills the horizon; many are depicted with multiple arms (thousand-handed as hyperbole), towering silhouettes, and matted-lock crowns.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇapāḥ (gaṇa leaders)
• Gaṇeśvaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s greatness is expressed through infinite, powerful attendants—suggesting that surrender to Śaṅkara aligns one with an inexhaustible divine guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a visual and devotional description of Śiva’s retinue.