Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

पठेन्नामसहस्रं तु स्तवराजमथापि वा । गजेन्द्रमोक्षणं चैव पथि गच्छञ्छनैः शनैः

Transliteration

paṭhennāmasahasraṃ tu stavarājamathāpi vā | gajendramokṣaṇaṃ caiva pathi gacchañchanaiḥ śanaiḥ

Translation

راہ میں آہستہ آہستہ قدم بہ قدم چلتے ہوئے، نام سہسر (ہزار نام) کا پاٹھ کرے، یا ستوراج (حمدوں کا بادشاہ) پڑھے، یا گجندر موکشن (گجندر کی نجات) بھی تلاوت کرے۔

Word by Word

• पठेत्: should recite
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नामसहस्रम्: the thousand names
• नामसहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (a thousand of names)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle)

• स्तवराजम्: the king of hymns
• स्तवराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (king of hymns)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• गजेन्द्रमोक्षणम्: Gajendra's deliverance (episode)
• गजेन्द्रमोक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजेन्द्र + मोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (the deliverance of Gajendra)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• गच्छन्: walking
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) शतृ-प्रत्यय; गच्छत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — instrumental-form adverb

• शनैः: very slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-yātrā-mārga (recitation practice)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks ‘step by step’ with prayer beads, lips moving in recitation; beside him another pilgrim narrates Gajendra’s deliverance; in a vignette-like cloud, Viṣṇu descends with cakra to save the elephant from the crocodile—linking recitation to remembered myth.

Characters & Entities

• Gajendra-mokṣaṇa
• Sahasranāma
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is sanctified by remembrance and recitation; the journey itself becomes worship through nāma and stotra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, in the context of recommended devotional recitations while traveling to/within the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation (paṭhana) of sahasranāma, a principal stotra (stavarāja), or the Gajendra-mokṣaṇa while walking.