Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सीतायाश्च तदा भर्तुर्मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम् । माघशुक्लद्वितीया यां दिनैः सप्तभिरष्टमीम्

Transliteration

sītāyāśca tadā bharturmāyāmūrdhādidarśanam | māghaśukladvitīyā yāṃ dinaiḥ saptabhiraṣṭamīm

Translation

Dann wurde Sītā eine trügerische Schau über ihren Herrn vor Augen geführt, beginnend mit dem Anblick des Hauptes und dergleichen. Vom zweiten Tag der hellen Hälfte des Māgha an führten sieben Tage bis zum achten Tithi.

Word by Word

• सीतायाः: of Sītā
• सीतायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम्: seeing the illusory head etc.
• मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + मूर्धन् + आदि + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: मायया (मायिकं) मूर्ध-आदि-दर्शनम् (तत्पुरुष; 'आदि' समाहारसूचक)

• माघशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: on the second (lunar day) of Māgha bright fortnight
• माघशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + शुक्ल + द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य द्वितीया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• याम्: which (day)
• याम्: Karma/Anvaya (Relative link)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• दिनैः: by days; in days
• दिनैः: Karana (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सप्तभिः: by seven
• सप्तभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (सङ्ख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अष्टमीम्: the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टमीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā in the Aśoka grove is shown a terrifying illusion—Rāma’s severed head and tokens—crafted by rākṣasa māyā; Sītā’s face shows shock and grief yet inner resolve, with protective deities subtly implied.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (implied as bhartṛ)
• Māyā (illusion)
• Māgha (Śukla pakṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā can shake even the steadfast; dharma calls for inner clarity and faith beyond deceptive appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse concerns events in Laṅkā and the moral theme of illusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the tithi references function as narrative dating.