Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एकभक्तव्रती तत्र संपूज्य गणनायकम् । किंचिद्दत्त्वा तमुद्दिश्य न विघ्नैरभिभूयते

Transliteration

ekabhaktavratī tatra saṃpūjya gaṇanāyakam | kiṃciddattvā tamuddiśya na vighnairabhibhūyate

Translation

There, one who keeps the ekabhakta-vrata, having duly worshipped Gaṇanāyaka and giving even a little dāna with him in mind, is not overwhelmed by obstacles.

Word by Word

• एकभक्तव्रती: one observing the one-meal vow
• एकभक्तव्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-भक्त-व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; एक + भक्त + व्रतिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एकभक्तं व्रतं यस्य’ (masc nom sg; agent noun)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संपूज्य: having worshipped well
• संपूज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having duly worshipped’

• गणनायकम्: the leader of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; गण + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• किंचित्: something, a little
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite pronoun: ‘something’)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having given’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (accusative singular)

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for him), dedicating
• उद्दिश्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having intended/addressed (to)’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विघ्नैः: by obstacles
• विघ्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural)

• अभिभूयते: is overpowered
• अभिभूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (present, 3rd sg, middle; ‘is overpowered’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṇanāyaka worship on Aṅgāraka Caturthī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in simple attire observing ekabhakta, offering durvā and lamps to Gaṇanāyaka at a shrine, then placing a small coin/food bundle as charity; behind, symbolic ‘vighnas’ dissolve like shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Vighna (obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even modest devotion—fasting discipline, worship, and small charity—invokes Gaṇeśa’s power to dissolve obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated within the Kāśī mahatmya setting of this chapter’s observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe ekabhakta-vrata, worship Gaṇanāyaka (Gaṇeśa), and perform some dāna dedicated to him.