Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मायागणपतेश्चाथ ढुंढिप्रादुर्भवस्ततः । विष्णुमायाप्रपंचोथ दिवोदासविसर्जनम्

Transliteration

māyāgaṇapateścātha ḍhuṃḍhiprādurbhavastataḥ | viṣṇumāyāprapaṃcotha divodāsavisarjanam

Translation

त्यानंतर मायागणपतीचे आख्यान, आणि मग ढुंढीचा प्रादुर्भाव. पुढे विष्णुमायेचा विस्तार, आणि त्यानंतर दिवोदासाचे विसर्जन (प्रस्थान) आहे.

Word by Word

• māyā-gaṇapateḥ: of Māyā-Gaṇapati
• māyā-gaṇapateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇapati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मायायाः गणपतिः)

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

• atha: then; next
• atha: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भसूचक) — 'now/then'

• ḍhuṃḍhi-prādurbhavaḥ: manifestation of Ḍhuṃḍhi
• ḍhuṃḍhi-prādurbhavaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍhuṃḍhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prādurbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ढुंढेः प्रादुर्भवः)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

• viṣṇu-māyā-prapaṃcaḥ: the display/expansion of Viṣṇu's māyā
• viṣṇu-māyā-prapaṃcaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + prapaṃca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः मायायाः प्रपञ्चः)

• utha: and then
• utha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: utha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक-निपात) — 'and then/thereupon' (पाठान्तर: अथ)

• divodāsa-visarjanam: dismissal/departure of Divodāsa
• divodāsa-visarjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divodāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + visarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिवोदासस्य विसर्जनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ḍhuṃḍhi (Gaṇeśa) / Ḍhuṃḍhirāja tradition; Māyāgaṇapati (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative montage: Māyāgaṇapati as a wondrous, illusion-weaving Gaṇeśa; Ḍhuṃḍhi manifesting as a powerful Gaṇeśa presence; a subtle depiction of Viṣṇu’s māyā as a veil over events; Divodāsa departing Kāśī, dignified yet fated.

Characters & Entities

• Māyāgaṇapati
• Ḍhuṃḍhi (Gaṇeśa)
• Viṣṇu
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s destiny is guided by divine agency—Gaṇeśa’s manifestations and Viṣṇu’s māyā shape historical-spiritual transitions tied to Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta as a whole, via its Gaṇeśa traditions (Ḍhuṃḍhi) and the Divodāsa-linked sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it points to narratives explaining the presence and role of Gaṇeśa (Ḍhuṃḍhi) and divine māyā in the kṣetra.