Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

गजानां तु शते दत्ते लक्षे च रथवाजिनाम् । तत्फलं कोटिगुणितं सोमवारव्रते कृते

Transliteration

gajānāṃ tu śate datte lakṣe ca rathavājinām | tatphalaṃ koṭiguṇitaṃ somavāravrate kṛte

Translation

Selbst die Frucht, die man durch die Gabe von hundert Elefanten und hunderttausend Wagen und Pferden erlangt—wenn das Montagsgelübde vollzogen wird—wird um ein Koṭi, zehn Millionenfach, vermehrt.

Word by Word

• गजानाम्: of elephants
• गजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• शते: in (the case of) a hundred
• शते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• दत्ते: when given
• दत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सति-सप्तमीभावः (locative absolute sense)

• लक्षे: in (the case of) a lakh
• लक्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रथवाजिनाम्: of chariots and horses
• रथवाजिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—रथाश्च वाजिनश्च (द्वन्द्व)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कोटिगुणितम्: multiplied a crore-fold
• कोटिगुणितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + गुणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कोट्या गुणितम् (तत्पुरुष)

• सोमवारव्रते: in the Monday-vow
• सोमवारव्रते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवार + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सोमवारे (सप्तमी) व्रतम् / सोमवारस्य व्रतम् (तत्पुरुष)

• कृते: when performed
• कृते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘व्रते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somavāra-vrata locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand procession of donated elephants and countless chariots and horses is evoked as a symbolic benchmark; over it, the quiet image of a Monday-vrata devotee at Prabhāsa is shown as yielding even greater multiplied merit.

Characters & Entities

• Somavāra-vrata
• Dāna
• Gaja (elephant)
• Ratha
• Vāji (horse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional vow (vrata) oriented to Śiva can surpass even kingly-scale charity in spiritual yield, emphasizing intention and sacred observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The comparison is part of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, where Śaiva vows and worship are extolled as exceptionally merit-giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of the Somavāra-vrata (Monday vow) is prescribed/commended as multiplying merit immensely.