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

جو لوگ کسی کام کے آغاز میں وِگھنےش، گنوں کے ادھیپتی، کی پوجا نہیں کرتے، ان کے لیے کام کی کامیابی حقیقتاً پیدا نہیں ہوتی—جیسے تمہارے لیے ہوتی ہے جو پوجا کرتے ہو۔

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.