Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

गजवक्त्रं ततः प्राह प्रणम्य समवस्थितम् । साश्रुकंठं प्रयाचंतं नय मामपि पार्वति

Transliteration

gajavaktraṃ tataḥ prāha praṇamya samavasthitam | sāśrukaṃṭhaṃ prayācaṃtaṃ naya māmapi pārvati

Translation

Alors il s’adressa à Gajavaktra (Celui au visage d’éléphant), qui se tenait là après s’être prosterné—la gorge serrée de larmes, implorant : «Ô Pārvatī, emmène-moi aussi avec toi.»

Word by Word

• gaja-vaktram: Gajavaktra (elephant-faced one, Gaṇeśa)
• gaja-vaktram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'then')

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra + nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• samavasthitam: standing present, stationed
• samavasthitam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ava + sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past participle used adjectivally; Neuter, Accusative, Singular (qualifying gajavaktram)

• sāśru-kaṇṭham: with tearful throat (choked with tears)
• sāśru-kaṇṭham: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + aśru (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular (qualifying prayācaṃtam)

• prayācaṃtam: begging, imploring
• prayācaṃtam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + yāc (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Present participle, Neuter, Accusative, Singular (qualifying gajavaktram)

• naya: lead, take
• naya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• pārvati: O Pārvatī
• pārvati: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); direct plea addressed to Pārvatī is quoted

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīraka, tearful and trembling, stands after bowing before Gajavaktra (Gaṇeśa). Gaṇeśa is calm and compassionate, while the plea is directed toward Pārvatī: 'Take me also.'

Characters & Entities

• Gajavaktra (Gaṇeśa)
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is intimate and heartfelt—divine relationships (mother and child) become vehicles for spiritual emotion and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the scene remains within the sacred mountain-ashram context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (bowing) is depicted as the devotional etiquette preceding a request.