Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अथ तैर्भ्रममाणैश्च प्रदृष्टोऽभूद्गजो महान् । निश्वसन्पतितो भूमौ वह्नितापप्रपीडितः

Transliteration

atha tairbhramamāṇaiśca pradṛṣṭo'bhūdgajo mahān | niśvasanpatito bhūmau vahnitāpaprapīḍitaḥ

Translation

પછી તેઓ ભ્રમણ કરતાં કરતાં એક મહાન ગજને જોયો—તે હાંફતો હાંફતો જમીન પર પડી ગયો હતો અને અગ્નિના તાપથી અત્યંત પીડિત હતો।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भ्रममाणैः: (while) wandering
• भ्रममाणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तैः इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• प्रदृष्टः: was seen
• प्रदृष्टः: Karta (Predicate adjective of गजः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seen’

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Auxiliary/main)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गजः: an elephant
• गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महान्: great/huge
• महान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (गजः)

• निश्वसन्: breathing heavily
• निश्वसन्: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गजः इति विशेषण

• पतितः: fallen
• पतितः: Karta (Predicate adjective of गजः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वह्नितापप्रपीडितः: severely afflicted by the heat of fire
• वह्नितापप्रपीडितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि + ताप + प्र-पीडित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वह्नेः तापेन प्रपीडितः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गजः इति विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas discover a massive elephant lying on the ground, sides heaving, trunk slack, eyes half-closed; heat shimmer and ember-glow around it; Brahmā and Viṣṇu approach with concern, attendants gesturing toward the source of fire.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Gaja (elephant)
• Vahni (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering in the world becomes a catalyst for intervention and inquiry; dharma begins with noticing distress and responding rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative context within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.