Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिदूर्वाभिर्द्वाभ्यां नाम्ना पृथक्पृथक् । सर्वनामभिरेकैव दीयते गणनायके

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatidūrvābhirdvābhyāṃ nāmnā pṛthakpṛthak | sarvanāmabhirekaiva dīyate gaṇanāyake

Translation

Mit einundzwanzig Halmen dūrvā-Gras soll jeder Halm einzeln dargebracht werden, wobei jeweils zwei Namen gesondert rezitiert werden. Wenn alle Namen gemeinsam gesprochen werden, wird Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇeśa) noch eine zusätzliche einzelne Gabe dargebracht.

Word by Word

• एकविंशतिदूर्वाभिः: with twenty-one dūrvā grasses
• एकविंशतिदूर्वाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति-दूर्वा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; 'एकविंशति' इति संख्यापूर्वपद-समासः

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग), तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (नाम्ना सह)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: विभागवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition); विभागवाचक-अव्यय

• सर्वनामभिः: with all the names
• सर्वनामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दूर्वा/पूजा-क्रिया-सम्बद्ध)

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: only/indeed)

• दीयते: is offered/given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• गणनायके: to the leader of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणनायके: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/अधिकरण-प्राय), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (Gaṇeśa pūrvapūjā within)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ritual practitioners/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper offers fresh green dūrvā blades one by one at Gaṇeśa’s feet, counting to twenty-one; a manuscript or priest prompts the two-name recitation; final combined offering follows.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Dūrvā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes disciplined when offerings are paired with sacred names—remembrance (nāma) sanctifies action (karma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa’s ritual teaching; no single tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer 21 dūrvā blades, each separately while reciting two names; then make one offering with all names together.