Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

महागणपतिर्भक्त्या सर्वविद्याप्रदायकः । यस्तस्य पुरतो विप्राः शांतिपाठविधानतः

Transliteration

mahāgaṇapatirbhaktyā sarvavidyāpradāyakaḥ | yastasya purato viprāḥ śāṃtipāṭhavidhānataḥ

Translation

महागणपतिः स भक्त्या समाराधितः सर्वविद्याः प्रयच्छति; तस्य पुरतो विप्राः शान्तिपाठविधानतः जपन्ति।

Word by Word

• महागणपतिः: Mahāgaṇapati
• महागणपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇapati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — कर्मधारयः ‘महान् गणपतिः’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — ‘with devotion’

• सर्वविद्याप्रदायकः: giver of all learning
• सर्वविद्याप्रदायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वा विद्याः प्रददाति’ (giver of all knowledge)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘who’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of him’

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/पूर्वता) — ‘in front of’

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘brāhmaṇas’

• शान्तिपाठविधानतः: according to the śānti-recitation procedure
• शान्तिपाठविधानतः: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिलन्त) — ‘according to the procedure of peace-recitation’; समास: शान्तिपाठविधान (तत्पुरुष) + तः

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Gaṇapati shrine: a majestic Mahāgaṇapati idol adorned with garlands; brāhmaṇas seated in front chanting śānti-pāṭha with manuscripts; students and devotees listen; lamps flicker, creating a calm, auspicious atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāgaṇapati
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)
• Śānti-pāṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion joined with proper rite draws down divine grace—here, Gaṇapati’s gift of knowledge and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vararuci’s Gaṇapati shrine within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śānti-pāṭha recitation by brāhmaṇas in Gaṇapati’s presence, following prescribed procedure.