Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अथांगभूतान्सकलान्गणेशादीन्प्रपूजयेत् । स्तवैर्नानाविधैः स्तुत्वा साष्टांगं प्रणमेद्बुधः

Transliteration

athāṃgabhūtānsakalāngaṇeśādīnprapūjayet | stavairnānāvidhaiḥ stutvā sāṣṭāṃgaṃ praṇamedbudhaḥ

Translation

Then one should duly worship all the attendant limbs and members (of the rite), beginning with Gaṇeśa. Having praised them with many kinds of hymns, the wise devotee should bow down with full prostration.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/next
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• अङ्ग-भूतान्: those who are (his) limbs/attendants
• अङ्ग-भूतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अङ्गं भूता:), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural (qualifying सकलान्/गणेशादीन्)

• सकलान्: all
• सकलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural

• गणेश-आदीन्: Gaṇeśa and others
• गणेश-आदीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गणेशः आदिः येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should worship duly

• स्तवैः: with hymns
• स्तवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• नाना-विधैः: of various kinds
• नाना-विधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नानाविध = विविध), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; instrumental plural (qualifying स्तवैः)

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) → स्तुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having praised’

• स-अष्टाङ्गम्: with eight limbs (full prostration)
• स-अष्टाङ्गम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘सहित’) + अष्टाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सहितम् अष्टाङ्गम्), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; adverbial (manner)

• प्रणमेत्: should bow down
• प्रणमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should bow/prostrate

• बुधः: the wise person
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional narration within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee worships Gaṇeśa first with flowers and lamps, then offers salutations to attendant deities; finally performs sāṣṭāṅga praṇāma before the main Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wisdom in worship includes honoring the full sacred order—auxiliaries and attendants are respected, and humility is expressed through prostration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ritual-instructional.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Gaṇeśa and other auxiliary members, recite hymns, and conclude with sāṣṭāṅga prostration.