Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मायागणपतेश्चाथ ढुंढिप्रादुर्भवस्ततः । विष्णुमायाप्रपंचोथ दिवोदासविसर्जनम्

Transliteration

māyāgaṇapateścātha ḍhuṃḍhiprādurbhavastataḥ | viṣṇumāyāprapaṃcotha divodāsavisarjanam

Translation

پھر مایاگنپتی کا بیان ہے؛ اور اس کے بعد ڈھونڈھی کا ظہور۔ پھر وِشنو کی مایا کا پھیلاؤ بیان ہوتا ہے، اور آخر میں دیووداس کی رخصتی (بِسرجن) کا ذکر ہے۔

Word by Word

• māyā-gaṇapateḥ: of Māyā-Gaṇapati
• māyā-gaṇapateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇapati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मायायाः गणपतिः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• atha: then; next
• atha: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भसूचक) — 'now/then'

• ḍhuṃḍhi-prādurbhavaḥ: manifestation of Ḍhuṃḍhi
• ḍhuṃḍhi-prādurbhavaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍhuṃḍhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prādurbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ढुंढेः प्रादुर्भवः)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

• viṣṇu-māyā-prapaṃcaḥ: the display/expansion of Viṣṇu's māyā
• viṣṇu-māyā-prapaṃcaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + prapaṃca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः मायायाः प्रपञ्चः)

• utha: and then
• utha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: utha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक-निपात) — 'and then/thereupon' (पाठान्तर: अथ)

• divodāsa-visarjanam: dismissal/departure of Divodāsa
• divodāsa-visarjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divodāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + visarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिवोदासस्य विसर्जनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ḍhuṃḍhi (Gaṇeśa) / Ḍhuṃḍhirāja tradition; Māyāgaṇapati (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative montage: Māyāgaṇapati as a wondrous, illusion-weaving Gaṇeśa; Ḍhuṃḍhi manifesting as a powerful Gaṇeśa presence; a subtle depiction of Viṣṇu’s māyā as a veil over events; Divodāsa departing Kāśī, dignified yet fated.

Characters & Entities

• Māyāgaṇapati
• Ḍhuṃḍhi (Gaṇeśa)
• Viṣṇu
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s destiny is guided by divine agency—Gaṇeśa’s manifestations and Viṣṇu’s māyā shape historical-spiritual transitions tied to Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta as a whole, via its Gaṇeśa traditions (Ḍhuṃḍhi) and the Divodāsa-linked sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it points to narratives explaining the presence and role of Gaṇeśa (Ḍhuṃḍhi) and divine māyā in the kṣetra.