Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गजदानाद्गजेंद्रेण नीयते नंदनं वनम् । पृथिव्यां सागरांतायामेष राजा भविष्यति

Transliteration

gajadānādgajeṃdreṇa nīyate naṃdanaṃ vanam | pṛthivyāṃ sāgarāṃtāyāmeṣa rājā bhaviṣyati

Translation

بِهبةِ فيلٍ يُساقُ الواهبُ على يدِ سيّدِ الفيلة إلى غابة نندنا؛ وعلى هذه الأرض المحاطة بالبحار سيصير ملكًا.

Word by Word

• गजदानात्: from/through the gift of an elephant
• गजदानात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वपादान (cause)

• गजेन्द्रेण: by the lord of elephants (elephant)
• गजेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/सहकर्ता (agentive instrument)

• नीयते: is led
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• नन्दनम्: to Nandana (garden)
• नन्दनम्: Karma (Destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (destination)

• वनम्: forest/grove
• वनम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नन्दनस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• सागरान्तायाम्: bounded by the ocean
• सागरान्तायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (पृथिव्याम्)

• एषः: this (person)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-समनाधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic elephant with ceremonial cloth and bells is gifted at a tīrtha; Indra’s Nandana grove appears above with celestial trees, while a coronation motif hints at future kingship on earth.

Characters & Entities

• Nandana (forest/grove)
• Gajendra (lord of elephants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed with faith—especially great gifts like gaja-dāna—ripens into both heavenly honor and righteous worldly prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, praised in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaja-dāna (donation of an elephant), taught as a high-merit act of dāna.