Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गजार्थी यो जपेत्तत्र गणानां द्विजसत्तमाः । स प्राप्नोति गजान्मर्त्यो मदप्लावितभूतलान्

Transliteration

gajārthī yo japettatra gaṇānāṃ dvijasattamāḥ | sa prāpnoti gajānmartyo madaplāvitabhūtalān

Translation

ஓ இருபிறப்போரில் சிறந்தவர்களே! யார் யானை வேண்டி அங்கே ‘கணானாம்…’ மந்திரத்தை ஜபிக்கிறாரோ, அவர் மதத்தால் நிலத்தைப் பெருக்கச் செய்யும் வலிமைமிகு யானைகளைப் பெறுவார்।

Word by Word

• गजार्थी: desirous of elephants
• गजार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘यो’ इत्यस्य

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• गणानाम्: of the Gaṇas
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रशंसावचनम् (vocative-sense though nominative form)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गजान्: elephants
• गजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• मदप्लावितभूतलान्: whose ground is flooded with rut-fluid
• मदप्लावितभूतलान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + प्लावित (कृदन्त, क्त) + भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘गजान्’ इत्यस्य; ‘मदेन प्लावितं भूतलं येषाम्’ इति भावः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from tīrthamāhātmya instructional style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience: eminent brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-brāhmaṇa performs japa at a sacred spot; in the distance appear mighty rutting elephants, their presence suggesting royal prosperity and irresistible force.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas (as mantra opening word)
• Mantra/Japa
• Gaja (elephants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text links disciplined recitation at a sacred place with the granting of powerful worldly resources, implying dharma-guided prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha being extolled in the surrounding Adhyāya 36 of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the excerpt does not name it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a mantra identified by the opening “gaṇānām …”, performed at the tīrtha with a specific intention.