Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

नन्दिसंज्ञो गणाधीशो भविष्यति भवान्ध्रुवम् । मत्समीपे तु भवत आदौ पूजा भविष्यति

Transliteration

nandisaṃjño gaṇādhīśo bhaviṣyati bhavāndhruvam | matsamīpe tu bhavata ādau pūjā bhaviṣyati

Translation

«Assurément, tu deviendras le seigneur des Gaṇa nommé Nandi. Et en ma présence, ton culte sera accompli le premier.»

Word by Word

• नन्दिसंज्ञः: named Nandi
• नन्दिसंज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दिसंज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: नन्दि + संज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भवान्/गणाधीशः इत्यस्य)

• गणाधीशः: lord of the gaṇas
• गणाधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणाधीश (प्रातिपदिक: गण + अधीश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुवम् (अव्यय/निपातवत्)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (certainly)

• मत्समीपे: near me
• मत्समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्समीप (प्रातिपदिक: मत् + समीप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• भवतः: of you/your
• भवतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• आदौ: first
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदौ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (at first, in the beginning)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king/devotee in the episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara grants a boon: the devotee/king is destined to become Nandi, gaṇādhipa; the idea of ‘first worship’ is shown by devotees offering before Nandi at the shrine entrance.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Nandi
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service and devotion are honored with sacred responsibility, and dharmic worship follows an ordained order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Śūlabheda-tīrtha, where Śiva grants boons and establishes worship norms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Nandi (as Gaṇādhiśa) is to be performed first in Śiva’s proximity—reflecting the traditional sequence in Śaiva worship.