Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

प्रायोपवेशनं चक्रे रामो दिनचतुष्टयम् । समुद्राद्वरलाभश्च सहोपायप्रदर्शनः

Transliteration

prāyopaveśanaṃ cakre rāmo dinacatuṣṭayam | samudrādvaralābhaśca sahopāyapradarśanaḥ

Translation

Rāma vollzog vier Tage lang das prāyopaveśana, das Fasten bis zum Tod. Vom Herrn des Ozeans erlangte er eine Gnade, zugleich mit der Offenbarung des Mittels und der Weise des Vorgehens.

Word by Word

• प्रायोपवेशनम्: fast-unto-death sitting (prāyopaveśana)
• प्रायोपवेशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राय-उपवेशन (प्रातिपदिक; उपवेशन < उप-√विश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (प्रायः = मरणपर्यन्तं, उपवेशनम् = उपवेशः)

• चक्रे: did / performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दिनचतुष्टयम्: a set of four days
• दिनचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन-चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक; चतुष्टय = चतुर् + टय प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दिनानां चतुष्टयम्)

• समुद्रात्: from the ocean
• समुद्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• वरलाभः: obtaining of a boon
• वरलाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-लाभ (प्रातिपदिक; लाभ < √लभ् (धातु) + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (वरस्य लाभः)

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

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारक-उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable: 'together/with')

• उपायप्रदर्शनः: showing the means (method)
• उपायप्रदर्शनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय-प्रदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; प्रदर्शन < प्र-√दृश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (उपायस्य प्रदर्शनः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-tīra / Samudra-tīra (pre-Setu shore)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣis/saints in frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma seated in austere posture on the seashore, fasting for four days; waves rise as the Ocean-deity emerges to grant a boon and reveal the method for crossing.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Samudra (Ocean deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and unwavering dharmic resolve can move even cosmic powers to reveal the right path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The seashore/ocean interface is central as a sacred threshold, though no named tīrtha is stated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyopaveśana (a severe vow/fast) is mentioned as Rāma’s act of discipline to obtain divine response.