Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ध्यानमादौ प्रकर्तव्यं गणेशस्य यथाविधि । आगमा बहवो जाता गणेशस्य यथा मम

Transliteration

dhyānamādau prakartavyaṃ gaṇeśasya yathāvidhi | āgamā bahavo jātā gaṇeśasya yathā mama

Translation

ประการแรก พึงกระทำธยานต่อพระคเณศตามแบบพิธีอันถูกต้อง อาคมทั้งหลายได้บังเกิดขึ้นมากมายเกี่ยวกับพระคเณศ ดังเช่นที่มีมากมายเกี่ยวกับเรา (มหेश) ด้วย

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• आदौ: at first, in the beginning
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial locative): 'in the beginning'

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhaya (Predicate: to be done)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/according to')

• विधि: rule, prescribed method
• विधि: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; यथा इत्यस्य योगे 'यथाविधि' अर्थः

• आगमाः: scriptural traditions, āgamas
• आगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; आगमाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जाताः: have arisen, have come about
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'have arisen/come into being'

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sādhaka in a Himalayan shrine begins Gaṇeśa worship with closed eyes, visualizing the deity; behind him are palm-leaf manuscripts symbolizing āgamas.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Dhyāna
• Āgamas
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation is the foundation of worship; inner alignment precedes outer ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named in the verse; the instruction is doctrinal within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin with proper dhyāna of Gaṇeśa, following prescribed rules (yathāvidhi), grounded in Āgamic tradition.