Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

घृतेन पूजां कर्तासौ भावी मम गणः स्फुटम् । इत्युक्त्वा मां शिवो भद्र गणकोटीश्वरं व्यधात्

Transliteration

ghṛtena pūjāṃ kartāsau bhāvī mama gaṇaḥ sphuṭam | ityuktvā māṃ śivo bhadra gaṇakoṭīśvaraṃ vyadhāt

Translation

‘तो तुपाने पूजा करील; तो निश्चयच माझा गण होईल।’ असे म्हणत कल्याणमय शिवांनी मला गणकोटीश्वर म्हणून नेमले.

Word by Word

• ghṛtena: with ghee
• ghṛtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• pūjām: worship
• pūjām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• kartā: doer/performer
• kartā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛ (कृ—करणे धातु) → kartṛ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (तृच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कर्ता’ = doer

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘असौ’ = that (he)

• bhāvī: will be
• bhāvī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhū (भू—सत्तायाम् धातु) → bhāvin (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यदर्थक कृदन्त (णिनि/इन्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भावी’ = will be/going to be

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• gaṇaḥ: attendant/gaṇa
• gaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sphuṭam: clearly
• sphuṭam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative): स्पष्टम् (clearly)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyartha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative): इति (thus)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vac (वच्—वचने धातु) → uktvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): उक्त्वा = having said

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhadra: O good one / dear
• bhadra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रयोगे निपातवत्; हे भद्र (vocative interjection)

• gaṇakoṭīśvaram: lord of crores of gaṇas
• gaṇakoṭīśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa + koṭī + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: (गणानां कोटीनाम्) ईश्वरः; नपुंसक/पुं-प्रयोगे द्वितीया, एकवचन; पदरूप: गणकोटीश्वरम्

• vyadhāt: appointed/made
• vyadhāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धा—धारणे/विधाने धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘वि’ उपसर्ग; अर्थ: नियुक्तवान्/अकरोत् (appointed/made)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (reporting Śiva’s decree)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares that the devotee who worships with ghee will become a gaṇa; the speaker is ceremonially invested as Gaṇakoṭīśvara, surrounded by countless gaṇas and ritual lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇa
• Gaṇakoṭīśvara
• Ghṛta (ghee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A simple, heartfelt offering (ghee) to Śiva can elevate the devotee to intimate divine service—membership and leadership among Śiva’s Gaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not specify a geographical tīrtha; it glorifies the devotional method (ghṛta-pūjā) and its extraordinary fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ghṛtena pūjā—worshiping (the liṅga/Śiva) with ghee, especially connected in context to Makara-saṅkrānti observance.