Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

गजरूपधरस्तत्र स्थितः स्थाने महाबलः । गणनाथस्वरूपेण ह्युन्नतो जगति स्थितः

Transliteration

gajarūpadharastatra sthitaḥ sthāne mahābalaḥ | gaṇanāthasvarūpeṇa hyunnato jagati sthitaḥ

Translation

Dort verweilte der Gewaltige an jenem Ort, die Elefantengestalt tragend. Und wahrlich, in der Welt besteht er als „Unnata“, in der Form des Gaṇanātha.

Word by Word

• गज-रूप-धरः: the bearer of an elephant-form
• गज-रूप-धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धारणे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (गजस्य रूपं धरति)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्थितः: stood, remained
• स्थितः: Kriya (Action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘standing/remaining’

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• महाबलः: very strong, mighty
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् बलं यस्य)

• गण-नाथ-स्वरूपेण: in the form of Gaṇanātha (Gaṇeśa)
• गण-नाथ-स्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (गणानां नाथः, तस्य स्वरूपम्; ‘in the form of the lord of the gaṇas’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse marker (emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — हेतौ/निश्चये/समर्थने

• उन्नतः: exalted; (named) Unnata
• उन्नतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/नामवत् (as epithet)

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्थितः: stood, remained
• स्थितः: Kriya (Action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narrator) linking Rudra’s manifestation to Gaṇanātha identity at the site

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnata (Gaṇanātha-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mighty being stands at Unnata in elephant-form, revealed as Gaṇanātha—guardian and resident deity of the place.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇanātha (Gaṇeśa aspect)
• Elephant-form
• Unnata (site/epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine manifestations crystallize into enduring worship-forms; the līlā becomes a stable refuge for devotees as Gaṇanātha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Unnata-sthāna within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Gaṇanātha is said to abide.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it identifies the deity-form present for devotion (darśana and worship implied).