Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

महेश्वर उवाच । प्रतिपक्षे चतुर्थ्यां तु पूजनीयो गणाधिपः । स्नात्वा शुक्लतिलैः शुद्धैः शुक्लपक्षे सदा नृभिः

Transliteration

maheśvara uvāca | pratipakṣe caturthyāṃ tu pūjanīyo gaṇādhipaḥ | snātvā śuklatilaiḥ śuddhaiḥ śuklapakṣe sadā nṛbhiḥ

Translation

مہیشور نے فرمایا: کرشن پکش کی چَتُرتھی کو گنادیپتی شری گنیش جی کی پوجا کرنی چاہیے۔ غسل کرکے پاک سفید تلوں کے ساتھ، شُکل پکش میں بھی لوگ ہمیشہ بھکتی سے عبادت کریں۔

Word by Word

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रतिपक्षे: in the dark fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa)
• प्रतिपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth lunar day (caturthī)
• चतुर्थ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and (emphatic)
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• पूजनीयः: to be worshipped, worthy of worship
• पूजनीयः: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजनीय (कृदन्त; पूज् धातु + अनीय)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• गणाधिपः: lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् अधिपः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• शुक्लतिलैः: with white sesame seeds
• शुक्लतिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तिल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय (शुक्लाः तिलाः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• शुद्धैः: pure
• शुद्धैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शुक्लतिलैः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय (शुक्लः पक्षः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• नृभिः: by men, by people
• नृभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan tīrtha setting at dawn: pilgrims after bathing perform Gaṇādhipa pūjā on kṛṣṇa-caturthī, offering white sesame with folded hands before a small Gaṇeśa shrine near Kedāra pathways.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa)
• Caturthī
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa
• Śukla-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, time-aligned worship (especially on Caturthī) supports dharma and removes obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred setting, but the verse itself is a general ritual rule for Gaṇeśa worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Gaṇeśa on Caturthī; bathe first, and use pure white sesame as part of the observance.