Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तिरोधान गतः सद्यः शंभुः परमशोभनः । प्रणम्य शंभुं ते सर्वे गणाध्यक्षार्च्चने रताः

Transliteration

tirodhāna gataḥ sadyaḥ śaṃbhuḥ paramaśobhanaḥ | praṇamya śaṃbhuṃ te sarve gaṇādhyakṣārccane ratāḥ

Translation

सद्यः परमशोभनः शम्भुः तिरोधानं गतः। शम्भुं प्रणम्य ते सर्वे गणाध्यक्षार्चने रताः अभवन्।

Word by Word

• तिरोधानम्: disappearance/vanishing
• तिरोधानम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tirodhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; गत्यर्थे उपपद-सम्बन्धे (तिरोधानं गतः = ‘अन्तर्धानं’ प्राप्तः)

• गतः: went/entered
• गतः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धा॒तु) → gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle) परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गच्छति’ इत्यर्थे

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• परमशोभनः: supremely splendid
• परमशोभनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of शंभुः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘परमः शोभनः’) विशेषणम्

• प्रणम्य: having bowed to
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√nam (धा॒तु) → praṇamya (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• शंभुम्: Śambhu
• शंभुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (ते = ‘they’)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

• गणाध्यक्षार्च्चने: in the worship of the Gaṇādhyakṣa (Gaṇeśa)
• गणाध्यक्षार्च्चने: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘गणाध्यक्षस्य अर्चने’)

• रताः: engaged/devoted
• रताः: Predicate (State/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ram (धा॒तु) → rata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (ते सर्वे)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims in frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu, dazzling, fades from sight; devas and attendants bow to the empty luminous space, then turn toward a Gaṇeśa shrine to begin worship with renewed intent.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Gaṇādhyakṣa (Gaṇeśa)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the Lord withdraws from view, devotees continue dharma through orderly worship—here, honoring Gaṇeśa as the presiding lord of attendants and rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region), though this verse itself emphasizes worship sequence rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇāma) to Śiva followed by arcanā (formal worship) of Gaṇādhyakṣa (Gaṇeśa).