Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गजार्थी यो जपेत्तत्र गणानां द्विजसत्तमाः । स प्राप्नोति गजान्मर्त्यो मदप्लावितभूतलान्

Transliteration

gajārthī yo japettatra gaṇānāṃ dvijasattamāḥ | sa prāpnoti gajānmartyo madaplāvitabhūtalān

Translation

يا خيرَ ذوي الولادتين! مَن طلب الفيلة فتلا هناك ما يبتدئ بـ«gaṇānām …» نال فيلةً جبّارةً، إذا هاجت في سُكْرِها غمرت الأرضَ بهيبتها وقوّتها.

Word by Word

• गजार्थी: desirous of elephants
• गजार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘यो’ इत्यस्य

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• गणानाम्: of the Gaṇas
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रशंसावचनम् (vocative-sense though nominative form)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गजान्: elephants
• गजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• मदप्लावितभूतलान्: whose ground is flooded with rut-fluid
• मदप्लावितभूतलान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + प्लावित (कृदन्त, क्त) + भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘गजान्’ इत्यस्य; ‘मदेन प्लावितं भूतलं येषाम्’ इति भावः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from tīrthamāhātmya instructional style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience: eminent brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-brāhmaṇa performs japa at a sacred spot; in the distance appear mighty rutting elephants, their presence suggesting royal prosperity and irresistible force.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas (as mantra opening word)
• Mantra/Japa
• Gaja (elephants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text links disciplined recitation at a sacred place with the granting of powerful worldly resources, implying dharma-guided prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha being extolled in the surrounding Adhyāya 36 of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the excerpt does not name it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a mantra identified by the opening “gaṇānām …”, performed at the tīrtha with a specific intention.