Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मौलिं पादाब्जयोः कृत्वा गणेशः सत्वरो नतः । मूर्ध्न्युपाजिघ्रयांचक्रे हरो हर्षाद्गजाननम्

Transliteration

mauliṃ pādābjayoḥ kṛtvā gaṇeśaḥ satvaro nataḥ | mūrdhnyupājighrayāṃcakre haro harṣādgajānanam

Translation

گنیش جی نے اپنا مَولی (مکُٹ) کمل جیسے قدموں پر رکھ کر فوراً جھک کر پرنام کیا؛ اور ہَر (شیو) نے خوشی سے گجانن کو اٹھا کر اس کے سر پر سونگھ کر بوسہ دیا۔

Word by Word

• मौलिम्: crown/head
• मौलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पादाब्जयोः: of (his) lotus-feet
• पादाब्जयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी? (actually षष्ठी) द्विवचन; Genitive dual ‘of the lotus-feet’; कर्मधारय (अब्जौ पादौ)

• कृत्वा: having placed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having placed/made’

• गणेशः: Gaṇeśa
• गणेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सत्वरः: hastily, quickly
• सत्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular; adjective to गणेशः

• नतः: bowed
• नतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘नत’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘bowed’

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; Locative singular (on the head)

• उपाजिघ्रयाम्: to smell (affectionately)
• उपाजिघ्रयाम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-घ्र (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + अम् (tumun? actually infinitive-like)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक धातु; here as क्रियाविशेषणीय रूप in periphrastic construction with चक्रे: ‘to smell/kiss (as a gesture)’

• चक्रे: did, performed
• चक्रे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘did/made’ (periphrastic with preceding verbal noun)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular (Śiva)

• हर्षात्: out of joy
• हर्षात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन; Ablative singular (from/through joy)

• गजाननम्: the elephant-faced one (Gaṇeśa)
• गजाननम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + आनन (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य आननं गजवत्) ‘elephant-faced’; Accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇeśa bows swiftly, pressing his jeweled crown to Śiva’s lotus feet; Śiva, smiling with joy, lifts him and affectionately smells/kisses the top of his elephant head.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa (Gajānanā)
• Śiva (Hara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through humility draws intimate grace; the Lord responds with affectionate blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is the implied sanctified setting where such divine blessings are narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it depicts praṇāma at the feet as the core devotional act.