Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ध्यानमादौ प्रकर्तव्यं गणेशस्य यथाविधि । आगमा बहवो जाता गणेशस्य यथा मम

Transliteration

dhyānamādau prakartavyaṃ gaṇeśasya yathāvidhi | āgamā bahavo jātā gaṇeśasya yathā mama

Translation

Zuerst ist die rechte Meditation über Gaṇeśa nach Vorschrift zu vollziehen. Viele Āgamas sind über Gaṇeśa entstanden, ebenso wie (viele) über mich.

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• आदौ: at first, in the beginning
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial locative): 'in the beginning'

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhaya (Predicate: to be done)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

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

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/according to')

• विधि: rule, prescribed method
• विधि: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; यथा इत्यस्य योगे 'यथाविधि' अर्थः

• आगमाः: scriptural traditions, āgamas
• आगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; आगमाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जाताः: have arisen, have come about
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'have arisen/come into being'

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sādhaka in a Himalayan shrine begins Gaṇeśa worship with closed eyes, visualizing the deity; behind him are palm-leaf manuscripts symbolizing āgamas.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Dhyāna
• Āgamas
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation is the foundation of worship; inner alignment precedes outer ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named in the verse; the instruction is doctrinal within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin with proper dhyāna of Gaṇeśa, following prescribed rules (yathāvidhi), grounded in Āgamic tradition.