Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एकदंतेभवक्त्रेति तथा मूषकवाहन । कुमारगुरवे तुभ्यं पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

ekadaṃtebhavaktreti tathā mūṣakavāhana | kumāragurave tubhyaṃ pūjanīyaḥ prayatnataḥ

Translation

(Hommage à Toi comme) « Ekadanta, à la seule défense », « Seigneur au visage saisissant », et « Celui dont la monture / l’étendard est le rat ». Ô précepteur de Kumāra, Tu dois être vénéré avec un effort fervent.

Word by Word

• एकदन्त: O one-tusked (one)
• एकदन्त: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (‘एकः दन्तः यस्य सः’)

• एभवक्त्र: O elephant-faced (one)
• एभवक्त्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ebha (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (‘एभवत् वक्त्रं यस्य सः’ = elephant-faced)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक particle)

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

• मूषकवाहन: O one whose vehicle is a mouse
• मूषकवाहन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūṣaka (प्रातिपदिक) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘मूषकस्य वाहनः’)

• कुमारगुरवे: to the teacher of Kumāra
• कुमारगुरवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘कुमारस्य गुरुः’)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• पूजनीयः: worthy to be worshipped
• पूजनीयः: Predicate (To be worshipped/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūj (धा॒तु) → pūjanīya (कृदन्त, कर्तव्य)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीयर्/नीयत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘पूज्य/वन्दनीय’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) continuing the nāma-mantras (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/ritual participants (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇeśa depicted with one tusk, a powerful awe-inspiring visage, and a small mouse at his feet; devotees worship with deliberate care, acknowledging him as Kumāra’s preceptor.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Mūṣaka
• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent perseverance in worship (prayatna) is praised; Gaṇeśa’s names connect devotees to his protective and guiding powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is not a tīrtha-glorification; it forms part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Gaṇeśa pūjā/nāma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continue pūjā with specific epithets (Ekadanta, Mūṣakavāhana, etc.) and worship diligently.