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

അവിടെ മഹാബലൻ ഗജരൂപം ധരിച്ചു ആ സ്ഥാനത്ത് നിലകൊണ്ടു; ‘ഉന്നത’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ ലോകത്ത് ഗണനാഥസ്വരൂപമായി പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതനായി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു।

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).