Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शिवः पत्रेषु वसति फले गणपतिस्तथा । गंगापतिस्त्वचायां तु मज्जायां भगवा न्भवः

Transliteration

śivaḥ patreṣu vasati phale gaṇapatistathā | gaṃgāpatistvacāyāṃ tu majjāyāṃ bhagavā nbhavaḥ

Translation

അതിന്റെ ഇലകളിൽ ശിവൻ വസിക്കുന്നു; ഫലത്തിൽ ഗണപതി. അതിന്റെ തൊലിയിൽ ഗംഗാപതി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു; ഉള്ളിലെ മജ്ജയിൽ സ്വയം ഭഗവാൻ ഭവൻ (ശിവൻ) നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पत्रेषु: in the leaves
• पत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• वसति: dwells
• वसति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• फले: in the fruit
• फले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गणपतिः: Gaṇapati
• गणपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gaṇānāṃ patiḥ)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (indeclinable; “likewise/also”)

• गङ्गापतिः: lord of Gaṅgā
• गङ्गापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gaṅgāyāḥ patiḥ)

• त्वचायाम्: in the bark/skin
• त्वचायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वचा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle; “but/indeed”)

• मज्जायाम्: in the pith/marrow
• मज्जायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• भगवान्: the blessed lord
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Vāṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred tree at a tīrtha; Śiva’s presence shimmering in the leaves, Gaṇapati in the fruits, Gaṅgāpati in the bark, and Bhava glowing within the pith—shown as subtle deity-forms emerging from each layer.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇapati (Gaṇeśa)
• Gaṅgāpati
• Bhava
• Palāśa/Brahmavṛkṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity permeates the natural world; the palāśa is taught as a multi-deity abode, making its reverence a comprehensive act of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The text glorifies the palāśa itself as a sacred support within tīrtha tradition; a specific geographic tīrtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A theological mapping used in worship: honoring different parts of the tree as seats of Śiva and Gaṇapati, supporting detailed tree-arcana.