Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तथैव नामभिर्देया एकविंशतिमोदकाः । दशनामान्यहं वक्ष्ये पूजनार्थं पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

tathaiva nāmabhirdeyā ekaviṃśatimodakāḥ | daśanāmānyahaṃ vakṣye pūjanārthaṃ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Demikian juga, dua puluh satu biji modaka hendaklah dipersembahkan sambil melafazkan nama-nama suci. Aku akan menyatakan sepuluh nama untuk tujuan pemujaan, setiap satu disebut secara berasingan.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण particle)

• नामभिः: by (their) names
• नामभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• देयाः: to be given
• देयाः: Karmapravacanīya/Predicate (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु) → deya (कृदन्त, भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘कर्तव्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एकविंशतिमोदकाः: twenty-one modakas (sweet balls)
• एकविंशतिमोदकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekaviṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/विशेषण-सम्बन्धे तत्पुरुष (संख्यापूर्वपद)

• दश: ten
• दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; (दश)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: will say
• वक्ष्ये: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धा॒तु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पूजनार्थम्: for worship
• पूजनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः ‘अर्थम्’ सहितम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययवत् (purpose)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति—emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual setting where offerings are arranged: twenty-one sweet modakas placed in a neat arc before Gaṇeśa, while the officiant recites ten names one by one as part of worship.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Modaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred food offerings become spiritually potent when bound to nāma-smaraṇa (recitation of divine names).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa provides the pilgrimage context; this verse is primarily a Gaṇeśa worship procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer 21 modakas with name-recitation; then use ten specific names individually for pūjā.