Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सर्वकार्येषु ये मर्त्याः पूर्वमेनं गणाधिपम् । स्मरिष्यंति न वै तेषां कार्यहानिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

sarvakāryeṣu ye martyāḥ pūrvamenaṃ gaṇādhipam | smariṣyaṃti na vai teṣāṃ kāryahānirbhaviṣyati

Translation

“എല്ലാ കാര്യങ്ങളിലും ആദ്യം ഈ ഗണാധിപനെ സ്മരിക്കുന്ന മർത്ത്യർക്കു അവരുടെ പ്രവർത്തിയിൽ ഒരിക്കലും നഷ്ടമോ പരാജയമോ ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല.”

Word by Word

• सर्वकार्येषु: in all tasks
• सर्वकार्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘सर्वाणि कार्याणि’ (in all tasks)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: beforehand, first
• पूर्वम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गणाधिपम्: the lord of the gaṇas
• गणाधिपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् अधिपम्)

• स्मरिष्यन्ति: will remember
• स्मरिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वै: indeed
• वै: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/सम्भावनार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कार्यहानिः: loss of work/success
• कार्यहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य हानिः)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṇādhipa (Arbuda Vināyaka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (and by extension all devotees)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human scene montage: merchants, students, pilgrims, and householders pause at the start of tasks to remember Gaṇādhipa; above them, Gaṇeśa’s benign presence removes obstacles, symbolized by cleared paths and opened gates.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin every action with sacred remembrance; aligning the mind with Gaṇādhipa removes obstacles and stabilizes outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region indirectly, through the Mahāvināyaka narrative situated there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (remembrance/invocation) of Gaṇādhipa at the start of any activity.