Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

शतयोजनमायातं मनसापि दुरासदम् । अतो नु विघ्ना बहवः कथं प्राप्या च मैथिली

Transliteration

śatayojanamāyātaṃ manasāpi durāsadam | ato nu vighnā bahavaḥ kathaṃ prāpyā ca maithilī

Translation

«لقد قطعنا مئة يوجانا، ومع ذلك فهذه (البحر) عسيرة الاجتياز حتى في الفكر. لذلك تكثر العوائق؛ فكيف إذن نبلغ ميثيلي؟»

Word by Word

• शतयोजनम्: a hundred yojanas (in distance)
• शतयोजनम्: Karma/Measure (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (संख्यापूर्वकः: ‘शतं योजनानि’ → ‘शतयोजनम्’)

• आयातम्: extended; having reached
• आयातम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular: ‘reached/extended’)

• मनसा: by mind; mentally
• मनसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (neuter instrumental singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: even/also)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach; inaccessible
• दुरासदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + आसद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be approached’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—हेतुवाचक (indeclinable: therefore/from this)

• नु: indeed; then
• नु: Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (particle: indeed/now, for emphasis)

• विघ्नाः: obstacles
• विघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine nominative plural qualifying विघ्नाः)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• प्राप्या: to be reached/obtained
• प्राप्या: Sādhya (To-be-attained/साध्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be obtained/reached’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate gerundive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• मैथिली: Maithilī (Sītā)
• मैथिली: Karta/Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथिली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

Speaker

Rāma (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) sages/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary yet resolute host at the seashore; leaders reflect on the immense distance traveled and the daunting ocean; Sītā (Maithilī) is remembered as the urgent goal beyond the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā (Maithilī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True aims are reached by perseverance through vighnas; lament must turn into disciplined effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu coastal region is the implied sacred geography; the verse itself centers on reaching Sītā rather than praising a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse expresses concern and the recognition of obstacles.