Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मौलिं पादाब्जयोः कृत्वा गणेशः सत्वरो नतः । मूर्ध्न्युपाजिघ्रयांचक्रे हरो हर्षाद्गजाननम्

Transliteration

mauliṃ pādābjayoḥ kṛtvā gaṇeśaḥ satvaro nataḥ | mūrdhnyupājighrayāṃcakre haro harṣādgajānanam

Translation

मुकुट चरणकमलांवर ठेवून गणेश त्वरित नतमस्तक झाले; आणि हर्षाने हर (शिव) यांनी गजाननाला उचलून त्याच्या मस्तकावर स्नेहाने घ्राण/चुंबन केले।

Word by Word

• मौलिम्: crown/head
• मौलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पादाब्जयोः: of (his) lotus-feet
• पादाब्जयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी? (actually षष्ठी) द्विवचन; Genitive dual ‘of the lotus-feet’; कर्मधारय (अब्जौ पादौ)

• कृत्वा: having placed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having placed/made’

• गणेशः: Gaṇeśa
• गणेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सत्वरः: hastily, quickly
• सत्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular; adjective to गणेशः

• नतः: bowed
• नतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘नत’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘bowed’

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; Locative singular (on the head)

• उपाजिघ्रयाम्: to smell (affectionately)
• उपाजिघ्रयाम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-घ्र (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + अम् (tumun? actually infinitive-like)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक धातु; here as क्रियाविशेषणीय रूप in periphrastic construction with चक्रे: ‘to smell/kiss (as a gesture)’

• चक्रे: did, performed
• चक्रे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘did/made’ (periphrastic with preceding verbal noun)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular (Śiva)

• हर्षात्: out of joy
• हर्षात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन; Ablative singular (from/through joy)

• गजाननम्: the elephant-faced one (Gaṇeśa)
• गजाननम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + आनन (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य आननं गजवत्) ‘elephant-faced’; Accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇeśa bows swiftly, pressing his jeweled crown to Śiva’s lotus feet; Śiva, smiling with joy, lifts him and affectionately smells/kisses the top of his elephant head.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa (Gajānanā)
• Śiva (Hara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through humility draws intimate grace; the Lord responds with affectionate blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is the implied sanctified setting where such divine blessings are narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it depicts praṇāma at the feet as the core devotional act.