Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

योगदंडार्थमुत्पाट्य स्वकीयं दशनं महत् । करे गृह्य गणाध्यक्षः शब्धब्रह्मातिवर्त्तते । ऋद्धिसिद्धिद्वयेनैव एकत्वेन विराजितः

Transliteration

yogadaṃḍārthamutpāṭya svakīyaṃ daśanaṃ mahat | kare gṛhya gaṇādhyakṣaḥ śabdhabrahmātivarttate | ṛddhisiddhidvayenaiva ekatvena virājitaḥ

Translation

യോഗദണ്ഡത്തിനായി തന്റെ മഹാദന്തം പിഴുതെടുത്തു കൈയിൽ ധരിച്ചു, ഗണാധ്യക്ഷൻ ‘ശബ്ദബ്രഹ്മം’—വെറും വാചകപ്രകാശം—അതിനെ അതിക്രമിച്ചു. ഋദ്ധി-സിദ്ധി ഇരണ്ടും ഉള്ളവനായി ഏകത്വത്തിൽ വിരാജിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• योगदण्डार्थम्: for the purpose of a yogic staff
• योगदण्डार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष-समासः (योगस्य दण्डः; तस्य अर्थम् = for the purpose of a yogic staff)

• उत्पाट्य: having uprooted/torn out
• उत्पाट्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् + पट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), उत्-उपसर्ग; 'having torn out/uprooted'

• स्वकीयम्: his own
• स्वकीयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (दशनम्)

• दशनम्: tooth, tusk
• दशनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great, large
• महत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (दशनम्)

• करे: in (his) hand
• करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृह्य: having taken, holding
• गृह्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive) का एक रूप; 'having taken/holding' (गृहित्वा इत्यर्थे)

• गणाध्यक्षः: the leader of the gaṇas
• गणाध्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अध्यक्षः)

• शब्दब्रह्म: Śabda-brahman (the Absolute as sound)
• शब्दब्रह्म: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शब्दरूपं ब्रह्म)

• अतिवर्तते: transcends
• अतिवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; अति-उपसर्ग: 'goes beyond/transcends'

• ऋद्धिसिद्धिद्वयेन: by the pair (of powers) Ṛddhi and Siddhi
• ऋद्धिसिद्धिद्वयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋद्धिसिद्ध्योः द्वयम्) करणार्थे

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

• एकत्वेन: with oneness, as one
• एकत्वेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (in oneness/as unity)

• विराजितः: shining, resplendent
• विराजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + राज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (गणाध्यक्षः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇādhyakṣa uproots his own tusk and holds it as a yogic staff (daṇḍa); he stands radiant, having crossed beyond mere ‘sound-brahman’, shining in nondual oneness with ṛddhi and siddhi personified beside him.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇādhyakṣa (Gaṇeśa)
• Śabdabrahma
• Ṛddhi
• Siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True realization goes beyond sacred sound and scholarship, culminating in non-dual steadiness (ekatva) supported by yogic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra-centered sacred geography, where Shaiva power and yogic attainment are celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is prescribed; a yogic emblem is highlighted—the yogadaṇḍa—signifying austerity and inner steadiness.