Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

स्वर्धुन्याः पश्चिमे कूले उत्तरेर्कविनायकात् । लंबोदरो गणाध्यक्षः क्षालयेद्विघ्नकर्दमम्

Transliteration

svardhunyāḥ paścime kūle uttarerkavināyakāt | laṃbodaro gaṇādhyakṣaḥ kṣālayedvighnakardamam

Translation

On the western bank of the celestial river Gaṅgā, north of Arkavināyaka, abides Lambodara, lord of the Gaṇas; he washes away the mire of obstacles.

Word by Word

• svardhunyāḥ: of the Svardhunī (Gaṅgā)
• svardhunyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svardhunī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• paścime: on the western
• paścime: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• kūle: bank/shore
• kūle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• uttara-arka-vināyakāt: from (the shrine of) Uttara-Arka-Vināyaka
• uttara-arka-vināyakāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + arka (प्रातिपदिक) + vināyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (from)

• laṃbodaraḥ: Lambodara
• laṃbodaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṃbodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नाम

• gaṇa-adhyakṣaḥ: chief of the gaṇas
• gaṇa-adhyakṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपाधि

• kṣālayet: should wash away
• kṣālayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣāl (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vighna-kardamam: the mire of obstacles
• vighna-kardamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lambodara (Vināyaka shrine near Gaṅgā; north of Arkavināyaka)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Kashi ghat at dawn, Gaṅgā flows; a small shrine north of Arkavināyaka houses Lambodara, crowned and serene, blessing pilgrims. The ‘mud of obstacles’ is visualized as dark swirls dissolving into the river’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Svardhunī (Gaṅgā)
• Arkavināyaka
• Lambodara
• Gaṇādhyakṣa (Gaṇeśa)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the sanctified landscape of Kāśī, Gaṇeśa removes not just single obstacles but the very ‘mud’ that causes repeated hindrances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Vināyaka spot on the western bank of Gaṅgā in Kāśī, north of Arkavināyaka, associated with Lambodara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes the fruit of approaching/darśana of Lambodara—removal of vighnas.