Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

सेतुस्नानेन च तथा न तुल्यं विद्यते क्वचित् । तत्सेतुमूलं लंकायां यत्ररामो यियासया

Transliteration

setusnānena ca tathā na tulyaṃ vidyate kvacit | tatsetumūlaṃ laṃkāyāṃ yatrarāmo yiyāsayā

Translation

Nichts irgendwo ist dem heiligen Bad am Setu gleich. Die Wurzel dieses Setu weist nach Laṅkā, dort, wo Rāma, zum Überschreiten entschlossen, mit festem Willen aufbrach.

Word by Word

• setu-snānena: by bathing at the Setu
• setu-snānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः स्नानम्)

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

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: in that manner/likewise)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• tulyam: equal
• tulyam: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/सत्तायाम् (exists)

• kvacit: anywhere
• kvacit: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

• tat-setu-mūlam: that root/base of the Setu
• tat-setu-mūlam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + setu (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य सेतोः मूलम्)

• laṅkāyām: in Lanka
• laṅkāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Desha-adhikarana (Relative location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• yiyāsayā: with the desire to go
• yiyāsayā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yiyāsā (प्रातिपदिक; √yā (या) इच्छार्थे, desiderative noun)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (by/with the desire to go)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māhātmya narrative style in Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn seascape at Setu: pilgrims bathing where the chain of rocks stretches toward Laṅkā; Rāma in the background with bow, gaze fixed on the crossing, embodying saṅkalpa.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Laṅkā
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-bathing at Setu is proclaimed uniquely meritorious, teaching that sacred places intensify purification when approached with dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha—the bridge-region associated with Rāma’s crossing toward Laṅkā (Rāmeśvaram–Setu sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Setu-snāna (bathing at Setu) is highlighted as the central purificatory act.