Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तथोक्तास्ते महात्मानस्तं पश्यत महागजम् । गजतां च समासाद्य संचरंतं महाबलम्

Transliteration

tathoktāste mahātmānastaṃ paśyata mahāgajam | gajatāṃ ca samāsādya saṃcaraṃtaṃ mahābalam

Translation

เมื่อถูกกล่าวดังนั้น เหล่ามหาตมะก็ได้รับคำว่า “จงดูช้างใหญ่ผู้ทรงพลังนั้นเถิด ครั้นเข้าไปถึงฝูงช้างแล้ว เขาก็เคลื่อนไหวไปมาอย่างมีกำลังมหาศาล”

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक adverb)

• उक्ताः: having been told
• उक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• महात्मानः: great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पश्यत: see! behold!
• पश्यत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• महागजम्: a great elephant
• महागजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (कर्मधारय; ‘महान् गजः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गजताम्: elephant-ness; (as) an elephant
• गजताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गजता = गजत्व/elephant-nature; ‘गजतां’ पाठे दीर्घ-आन्त/असामान्यरूपम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• समासाद्य: having approached, reaching
• समासाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• संचरन्तम्: moving about, roaming
• संचरन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाबलम्: very strong
• महाबलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (कर्मधारय; ‘महद् बलं यस्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (instruction attributed to Gaurī/Umā by context, conveyed in narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal elephant, radiant and powerful, moves among a herd; sages watch from a distance, recognizing it as a meaningful sign rather than mere wildlife.

Characters & Entities

• mahāgaja (great elephant)
• gaja-tā (elephant herd)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In tīrtha narratives, the Divine guides seekers through visible signs that lead them toward sacred encounters and places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a lead-in to the tīrtha geography later named in this passage (Saṃgameśvara/Kuṇḍikā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a directional instruction—‘behold’ and follow the indicated sign.