Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वे मृत्युमुखं पतिता वै न संशयः । अस्माभिर्निर्मितो देवो गणेशः कार्यसिद्धये

Transliteration

tasmātsarve mṛtyumukhaṃ patitā vai na saṃśayaḥ | asmābhirnirmito devo gaṇeśaḥ kāryasiddhaye

Translation

Ainsi, vous êtes tous tombés assurément dans la gueule même de la mort — sans aucun doute. Pourtant, par Nous fut créé le dieu Gaṇeśa pour l’accomplissement des œuvres.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मृत्युमुखम्: the mouth of death
• मृत्युमुखम्: Gati/Goal (Destination as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृत्योः मुखम्)

• पतिताः: fallen
• पतिताः: Predicate complement
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे विशेषणवत्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not/no
• न: Negator
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/करण/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• निर्मितः: made/created
• निर्मितः: Predicate (passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गणेशः: Gaṇeśa
• गणेशः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् ईशः)

• कार्यसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of tasks
• कार्यसिद्धये: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः)

Speaker

Śiva (Sāmbā), instructing; narrated by Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (Indra and others)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern divine proclamation: the gods have fallen into death’s mouth, yet a compassionate corrective is revealed—Gaṇeśa, created for the success of undertakings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇeśa
• Death (Mṛtyu)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of divine order leads to peril, while honoring Gaṇeśa supports the successful completion of righteous works.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa) provides the setting for this doctrinal explanation connected to Śaiva worship culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies commencing undertakings with reverence to Gaṇeśa for kārya-siddhi.