Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

गजाः स्वलंकृता ह्यासन्कृत्रिमा ह्यकृतोपमाः । तथाश्वाः सादिभिश्चैव गजाश्च गजसादिभिः

Transliteration

gajāḥ svalaṃkṛtā hyāsankṛtrimā hyakṛtopamāḥ | tathāśvāḥ sādibhiścaiva gajāśca gajasādibhiḥ

Translation

Gajah-gajah dihias indah—buatan tangan, namun menyerupai yang semula jadi. Demikian juga ada kuda dengan penunggangnya, dan gajah dengan penunggang gajah.

Word by Word

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्वलङ्कृताः: well-adorned
• स्वलङ्कृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + अलङ्कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed)

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृत्रिमाः: artificial
• कृत्रिमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अकृतोपमाः: incomparable
• अकृतोपमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अकृता उपमा येषाम्/येषां); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सादिभिः: with riders/attendants (sādi-)
• सादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• गजसादिभिः: with elephant-riders/attendants
• गजसादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गजानां सादयः/गज-सादयः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ornamented elephants—so artfully made they seem natural—stand alongside horses with riders and elephants with mahouts, forming a grand ceremonial tableau near the sacred pavilion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred realm’s artistry mirrors living reality, directing the pilgrim to recognize the divine as the ultimate artisan behind creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakṣetra in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse continues the mahātmya description of wondrous arrangements.