Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

कर्मारंभे तु विघ्नेशं ये नार्चंति गणाधिपम् । कार्यसिद्धिर्न तेषां वै भवेत्तु भवतां यथा

Transliteration

karmāraṃbhe tu vighneśaṃ ye nārcaṃti gaṇādhipam | kāryasiddhirna teṣāṃ vai bhavettu bhavatāṃ yathā

Translation

ผู้ใดเมื่อเริ่มกิจการแล้วไม่บูชาพระวิฆเนศ ผู้เป็นจอมแห่งคณะคณา ความสำเร็จแห่งงานย่อมไม่เกิดแก่เขาโดยแท้—ดังที่เกิดแก่ท่านทั้งหลายผู้บูชา

Word by Word

• कर्मारंभे: at the start of an undertaking
• कर्मारंभे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative: at the beginning)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः आरम्भः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• विघ्नेशम्: Vighneśa (Lord of obstacles)
• विघ्नेशम्: Karma (Object of 'arcanti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्नेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (those who)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अर्चन्ति: worship
• अर्चन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गणाधिपम्: the lord of the gaṇas
• गणाधिपम्: Karma (Appositional object to 'vighneśam')
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् अधिपः)

• कार्यसिद्धिः: success of the task
• कार्यसिद्धिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive: for/of them)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुं/नपुंसक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: indeed)

• भवेत्: may occur
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• भवताम्: of you (hon.)
• भवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive: of you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक द्वितीयपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• यथा: as (in your case)
• यथा: Upamāna/Prakāra (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/conj.: as/just as)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual—within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, often Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relaying the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vighneśa (threshold deity for Kedāra rites)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear injunction delivered to an assembly: those who omit Gaṇeśa at the start fail; those who worship succeed—shown as two contrasting groups, one hindered, one progressing smoothly.

Characters & Entities

• Vighneśa
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin all undertakings with Gaṇeśa worship; humility and right ritual order support success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this verse specifically teaches Gaṇeśa-upāsanā rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Vighneśa/Gaṇādhipa at the very start of any work.