Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अनंतमहिमाधार धराधर विदारण । दंताग्रप्रोतां दङ्नाग जयनागविभूषण

Transliteration

anaṃtamahimādhāra dharādhara vidāraṇa | daṃtāgraprotāṃ daṅnāga jayanāgavibhūṣaṇa

Translation

النصر لك، يا سندَ المجدِ الذي لا نهاية له، يا شاقَّ الأثقالِ كأنها جبال. بطرفِ نابك طعنتَ الفيلَ الجبارَ وأمسكتَه؛ النصر لك، يا من تزيّنتَ بالأفاعي.

Word by Word

• अनन्त-महिमा-आधार: support of endless glory
• अनन्त-महिमा-आधार: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + महिमा (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘अनन्तस्य महिम्नः आधारः’ (support of infinite glory)

• धरा-धर: earth-bearer; mountain
• धरा-धर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ धातु + अच्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘धरां धरति’ (bearer of the earth; mountain)

• विदारण: splitter; destroyer
• विदारण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि+दॄ (धातु) + ल्युट्/अन (कृत्प्रत्यय; verbal noun)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); क्रियानाम (act/agent of tearing as epithet)

• दन्त-अग्र-प्रोताम्: pierced on the tusk-tip
• दन्त-अग्र-प्रोताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रोत (प्र+वे/वय् धातु + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular); ‘दन्ताग्रे प्रोताम्’ (pierced/strung on the tusk-tip)

• दङ्-नाग: fierce elephant
• दङ्-नाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दङ् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दङ्ग’/‘दङ्’ as fierce) + नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed/epithet); ‘दङ् इव नागः’/‘दङ्गनागः’ (fierce elephant/serpent; here elephant)

• जय: hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे

• नाग-विभूषण: adorned with nāgas; nāga-ornament
• नाग-विभूषण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘नागः विभूषणं यस्य’ (adorned with serpents/elephants; ornament of nāgas)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (protective/auxiliary shrine context)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable deity adorned with serpents, radiating endless greatness; with shining tusk-tip he subdues a mighty elephant, while mountain-like burdens split apart—symbolizing the crushing of obstacles and heaviness for pilgrims in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa
• Nāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṇeśa bears infinite majesty and has the power to split ‘mountain-like’ obstacles that block dhārmic progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames the praise within the sacred field of Vārāṇasī and its worship culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it is descriptive stuti aligned with dhyāna (meditative visualization) of Gaṇeśa’s form.