Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

चतु र्दंतं महाकायं गजं सर्वांगपांडुरम् । आरुह्य यः समागच्छेत्स मे भर्ता भवेदिति

Transliteration

catu rdaṃtaṃ mahākāyaṃ gajaṃ sarvāṃgapāṃḍuram | āruhya yaḥ samāgacchetsa me bhartā bhavediti

Translation

(Sie gelobte:) „Wer zu mir kommt, auf einem vierzähnigen, riesenleibigen Elefanten reitend, an allen Gliedern weiß, der soll mein Gemahl sein.“

Word by Word

• चतुर्दन्तम्: four-tusked
• चतुर्दन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gajam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (गजं विशेषयति), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical)

• महाकायम्: huge-bodied
• महाकायम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gajam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• गजम्: elephant
• गजम्: Karma (Object of āruhya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वाङ्गपाण्डुरम्: pale all over
• सर्वाङ्गपाण्डुरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gajam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वाङ्गानां पाण्डुरः = pale in all limbs)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: आ-रुह्, अर्थ: आरूढ्वा (having mounted)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of samāgacchet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• समागच्छेत्: should come/arrive
• समागच्छेत्: Kriya (Verb in relative clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject of bhavet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भर्ता: husband
• भर्ता: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Main verb of condition)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākya-parisamāpti (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

Speaker

King (quoting his daughter’s vow to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A princess (or the king recounting her words) is associated with a vision-like image: a colossal white elephant with four tusks, radiant and otherworldly, approaching as a bridal sign; the scene balances romance with impossibility.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• princess
• four-tusked elephant

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow framed without practicality can become ‘duṣṭarā’ (hard to fulfill), showing the need for विवेक (discernment) in commitments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāmeśvaram context), but it is not directly praising a tīrtha; it sets up the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of a vow/condition.