Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तथैव नामभिर्देया एकविंशतिमोदकाः । दशनामान्यहं वक्ष्ये पूजनार्थं पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

tathaiva nāmabhirdeyā ekaviṃśatimodakāḥ | daśanāmānyahaṃ vakṣye pūjanārthaṃ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

De même, vingt et un modakas doivent être offerts en récitant les noms. Je vais énoncer dix noms, pour l’acte d’adoration, chacun séparément.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण particle)

• नामभिः: by (their) names
• नामभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• देयाः: to be given
• देयाः: Karmapravacanīya/Predicate (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु) → deya (कृदन्त, भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘कर्तव्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एकविंशतिमोदकाः: twenty-one modakas (sweet balls)
• एकविंशतिमोदकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekaviṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/विशेषण-सम्बन्धे तत्पुरुष (संख्यापूर्वपद)

• दश: ten
• दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; (दश)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: will say
• वक्ष्ये: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धा॒तु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पूजनार्थम्: for worship
• पूजनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः ‘अर्थम्’ सहितम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययवत् (purpose)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति—emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual setting where offerings are arranged: twenty-one sweet modakas placed in a neat arc before Gaṇeśa, while the officiant recites ten names one by one as part of worship.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Modaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred food offerings become spiritually potent when bound to nāma-smaraṇa (recitation of divine names).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa provides the pilgrimage context; this verse is primarily a Gaṇeśa worship procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer 21 modakas with name-recitation; then use ten specific names individually for pūjā.