Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

समाप्य मातृका भूयो ध्यात्वा चैव परं शिवम् । वामभागे गुरुं नत्वा दक्षिणे गणपं नमेत्

Transliteration

samāpya mātṛkā bhūyo dhyātvā caiva paraṃ śivam | vāmabhāge guruṃ natvā dakṣiṇe gaṇapaṃ namet

Translation

After completing the Mātr̥kā-nyāsa, one should again meditate upon the Supreme Śiva. Then, bowing to the Guru on the left side, one should pay reverence to Gaṇapa (Gaṇeśa) on the right.

Word by Word

• समाप्य: having completed
• समाप्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having completed’

• मातृकाम्: the mātṛkā
• मातृकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), ‘पुनः/अधिकम्’

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त, ‘having meditated’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (शिवम्)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वामभागे: on the left side
• वामभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (वामः भागः)

• गुरुम्: the guru
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त, ‘having bowed (to)’

• दक्षिणे: on the right (side)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘दक्षिणे (भागे)’

• गणपम्: Gaṇapa (Gaṇeśa)
• गणपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमेत्: should bow (to)
• नमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator in Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditator, after completing letter-nyāsa, visualizes a radiant Śiva; to the left appears a venerable Guru figure receiving a bow; to the right, Gaṇeśa seated, blessing and removing obstacles; the composition emphasizes ritual symmetry and hierarchy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Guru
• Gaṇapa (Gaṇeśa)
• Mātr̥kā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship is ordered: contemplate Śiva, honor the Guru, and invoke Gaṇeśa to remove obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse prescribes a universal worship sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After mātṛkā-nyāsa, meditate on Supreme Śiva, then bow to the Guru (left) and Gaṇeśa (right).