Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

प्रहस्य भगवान्रुद्रो मायापुत्रमजीवयत् । सिंधुरवदनेनैव मुखे स समयोजयत्

Transliteration

prahasya bhagavānrudro māyāputramajīvayat | siṃdhuravadanenaiva mukhe sa samayojayat

Translation

Souriant, Bhagavān Rudra rendit la vie au fils né de māyā, et lui ajusta pour visage la face même d’un éléphant.

Word by Word

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रहस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), प्रहस् + क्त्वा (लोपः) = प्रहस्य; क्रियाविशेषण (having laughed)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (रुद्रः)

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मायापुत्रम्: the son of Māyā
• मायापुत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मायायाः पुत्रः)

• अजीवयत्: revived
• अजीवयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative): अजीवयत् = revived/made live

• सिंधुरवदनेन: with an elephant face
• सिंधुरवदनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंधुर (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिंधोः/सिंधुरस्य वदनम्)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• मुखे: on the face / in the mouth-area
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• समयोजयत्: joined, affixed
• समयोजयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; सम्-उपसर्ग, णिच् (causative): joined/attached

Speaker

Lomaśa (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seekers/ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra laughs softly and revives the māyā-born son; he places an elephant’s visage upon the child as his face—moment of miraculous reanimation and divine surgery.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Gaṇeśa
• Māyā
• Elephant (Siṃdhura/Gaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace not only restores life but transforms identity into an auspicious, dharma-protecting form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story appears in Kedārakhaṇḍa, contributing to the devotional prestige of the Kedāra sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a foundational mythic account of Gaṇeśa’s elephant-faced form.