Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विशेषान्नायकत्वं च गात्रे चास्य यतः स्थितम् । महाविनायको ह्येष तस्मान्नाम्ना भविष्यति

Transliteration

viśeṣānnāyakatvaṃ ca gātre cāsya yataḥ sthitam | mahāvināyako hyeṣa tasmānnāmnā bhaviṣyati

Translation

“ഇവന്റെ ദേഹാവയവങ്ങളിൽ വിശേഷനായകത്വം സ്ഥാപിതമായിരിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ, അവൻ തീർച്ചയായും ‘മഹാവിനായകൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ അറിയപ്പെടും.”

Word by Word

• विशेषात्: from (this) distinction
• विशेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• नायकत्वम्: leadership
• नायकत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायकत्व (प्रातिपदिक; नायक + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• गात्रे: in the body
• गात्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अस्य: of him/this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘since/wherefrom’)

• स्थितम्: is situated
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थितम्’ = is situated

• महाविनायकः: Mahāvināyaka
• महाविनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis/reason)

• एषः: this one (he)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Mahāvināyaka (local Vināyaka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva proclaims the child’s destined title ‘Mahāvināyaka’, emphasizing embodied leadership; the moment resembles a divine naming ceremony (nāmakaraṇa) in a mountain setting.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāvināyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine authority is not arbitrary; it is rooted in inherent spiritual excellence and capacity to lead beings toward auspicious outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred landscape (Mount Abu region) where Mahāvināyaka’s greatness is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse explains the title and status of Mahāvināyaka.