Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गंधमादनसंस्थाया महागजप्रमाणतः । फलानि जंबवास्तन्नाम्ना जंबूद्वीपमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

gaṃdhamādanasaṃsthāyā mahāgajapramāṇataḥ | phalāni jaṃbavāstannāmnā jaṃbūdvīpamiti smṛtam

Translation

Von dem Jambu-Baum, der auf Gandhamādana steht—dessen Früchte so groß sind wie mächtige Elefanten—wird diese Gegend nach eben diesem Namen als Jambūdvīpa erinnert.

Word by Word

• गन्धमादनसंस्थायाः: of the Gandhamādana region/settlement
• गन्धमादनसंस्थायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गन्धमादने संस्था)

• महागजप्रमाणतः: according to the measure of a great elephant
• महागजप्रमाणतः: Pramana (Standard/प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महागज (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘according to measure’); तत्पुरुष-समास (महागजस्य प्रमाणम्)

• फलानि: fruits
• फलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• जम्बवः: rose-apple trees (jambu)
• जम्बवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (of that)

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• स्मृतम्: is known/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is remembered/called)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana and the Jambu-tree (Jambū-vṛkṣa)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On fragrant Gandhamādana stands a colossal Jambu-tree, its dark-purple fruits enormous like elephants; devas and siddhas gather, and the landscape below is labeled ‘Jambūdvīpa’ as if named by the falling fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Gandhamādana
• Jambu-tree
• Jambūdvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic geography is presented as sacred memory: places gain sanctity and identity through divine landmarks and their mythic origins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana and the cosmic region of Jambūdvīpa are highlighted as sacred-geographical markers rather than a single bathing-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No vrata, dāna, or snāna is prescribed in this verse; it defines the sacred name-origin of Jambūdvīpa.