Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

आधिपत्यं मया दत्तं तव वत्स कुरुष्व तत् । सर्वेषां गणवृंदानामाधिपत्ये व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

ādhipatyaṃ mayā dattaṃ tava vatsa kuruṣva tat | sarveṣāṃ gaṇavṛṃdānāmādhipatye vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

വത്സാ, ഞാൻ നിനക്കു അധിപത്യം നൽകിയിരിക്കുന്നു—അത് സ്വീകരിക്ക. സർവ്വ ഗണവൃന്ദങ്ങളുടെ മേൽ ആധിപത്യത്തിൽ ദൃഢമായി സ്ഥാപിതനാകുക।

Word by Word

• आधिपत्यम्: lordship/authority
• आधिपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु))
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आधिपत्यम्)

• तव: of you/for you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वत्स: dear child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कुरुष्व: do/perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (गणवृंदानाम्)

• गणवृंदानाम्: of the hosts of gaṇas
• गणवृंदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—गणानां वृन्दानि (hosts of gaṇas)

• आधिपत्ये: in lordship/authority
• आधिपत्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: established/standing firm
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + वि + अव उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (त्वम् implied)

Speaker

Pārvatī (Sureśvarī Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Contextual kṣetra of the narrative (Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A goddess (or divine sovereign) formally grants lordship to a ‘child’ gaṇa-leader; the moment is intimate yet ceremonial, with assembled gaṇas witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Gaṇas
• Gaṇeśa (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine responsibility is a dharmic office: power is granted to protect order and guide the sacred attendants (gaṇas) rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-glorification chapter; the immediate focus is on consecration and divine appointment rather than naming a site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied consecratory framework (appointment/installation), though no explicit snāna-dāna-japa instruction appears in this verse.