Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अथ देवा गजं दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छुस्त्वरयाऽन्विताः । कच्चित्त्वया स दृष्टोऽत्र कानने पावको गज

Transliteration

atha devā gajaṃ dṛṣṭvā papracchustvarayā'nvitāḥ | kaccittvayā sa dṛṣṭo'tra kānane pāvako gaja

Translation

Als die Götter den Elefanten sahen, fragten sie ihn eilends: „O Elefant, hast du zufällig jenes Feuer hier in diesem Wald gesehen?“

Word by Word

• अथ: then, now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (particle/adverb: 'then/now')

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन (Plural)

• गजम्: the elephant
• गजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• पप्रच्छुः: asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्वरया: with haste
• त्वरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्विताः: accompanied, possessed (of)
• अन्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of देवाः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nom.); बहुवचन (Pl.)

• कच्चित्: is it the case that…?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Interrogative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle: 'whether?/surely?')

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (Subject of passive participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nom.); एकवचन (Sg.)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'here')

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन (Sg.)

• पावकः: fire
• पावकः: Karta (Subject, apposition to सः/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nom.); एकवचन (Sg.)

• गज: O elephant
• गज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन (Sg.)

Speaker

Devas (collectively)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense forest clearing: devas in radiant forms halt an elephant and urgently question him, pointing toward a bamboo thicket where a hidden fire is suspected.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Gaja (elephant)
• Pāvaka (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Urgency in protecting the world is dharmic; inquiry and truthful reporting are portrayed as instruments for restoring order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s broader sacred-geography narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.