Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कृत्वा चावस्यकं सर्वं गणेशस्यार्चनक्रियाम् । प्रयत्नेनैव कुर्वीत गंधमाल्याक्षतादिभिः

Transliteration

kṛtvā cāvasyakaṃ sarvaṃ gaṇeśasyārcanakriyām | prayatnenaiva kurvīta gaṃdhamālyākṣatādibhiḥ

Translation

Nachdem man alle erforderlichen Handlungen der Verehrung Gaṇeśas vollzogen hat, soll man die Arcana mit aufrichtigem Eifer darbringen – mit Duftstoffen, Blumengirlanden, ungebrochenem Reis (akṣata) und weiteren Gaben.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

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

• आवश्यकम्: necessary (duty/required act)
• आवश्यकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवश्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आवश्यकम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessive/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अर्चनक्रियाम्: the act/rite of worship
• अर्चनक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्चनस्य क्रिया); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Emphasis particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• कुर्वीत: should do/perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गन्धमाल्याक्षतादिभिः: with fragrance, garlands, unbroken rice, and the like
• गन्धमाल्याक्षतादिभिः: Karana (Instruments/offerings)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + माल्य + अक्षत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (गन्धं च माल्यं च अक्षतं च इत्यादि); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee arranges pūjā items—sandal paste, garlands, akṣata—before a Gaṇeśa image, hands steady and reverent, with Kedāra’s stone architecture and lamps in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Arcana
• Gandha
• Mālya
• Akṣata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through careful, complete worship—doing the necessary steps with attention and sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Kedārakhaṇḍa, but the verse focuses on worship method rather than a particular shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Gaṇeśa arcana with standard upacāras such as fragrance, garlands, and akṣata, after completing obligatory preliminaries.