Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चतुर्थ्यां तर्पयेद्भक्त्या गन्धैः पुष्पैः स मोदकैः । यथाभक्त्यनुसारेण तस्य तुष्येद्गणाधिपः

Transliteration

caturthyāṃ tarpayedbhaktyā gandhaiḥ puṣpaiḥ sa modakaiḥ | yathābhaktyanusāreṇa tasya tuṣyedgaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

No dia de Caturthī, o quarto dia lunar, deve-se satisfazê-lo com devoção—com fragrâncias, flores e modakas; conforme a medida da fé, o Senhor dos Gaṇas fica satisfeito.

Word by Word

• caturthyām: on the fourth (lunar day)
• caturthyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturthī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिवाचकः

• tarpayet: one should satisfy/offer libations
• tarpayet: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु; √तृप्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• gandhaiḥ: with fragrances
• gandhaiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; अनुक्त-कर्ता (the worshipper)

• modakaiḥ: with modakas (sweet dumplings)
• modakaiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• yathā: according as
• yathā: Sambandha (Manner marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (according to)

• bhakti: of devotion
• bhakti: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; anusāreṇa इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• anusāreṇa: in accordance (with)
• anusāreṇa: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anusāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; प्रकार/अनुसारार्थे

• tasya: of him; his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• tuṣyet: may be pleased
• tuṣyet: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• gaṇādhipaḥ: the lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• gaṇādhipaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa-adhipa (प्रातिपदिक; गण + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalavāsa Gaṇapati

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on Caturthī offers sandal paste, flowers, and a plate of modakas to Gaṇapati (Gaṇādhipa), who is shown pleased and benevolent; ritual items arranged neatly in a shrine setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• Caturthī
• Modaka
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual offerings matter, but the decisive factor is bhakti; divine grace responds to the sincerity and depth of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jalavāsa Gaṇapati shrine/tradition within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Caturthī, perform tarpaṇa/propitiatory worship of Gaṇeśa with gandha (fragrance), puṣpa (flowers), and modaka (sweet offering).