Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

प्रस्थापयामास कपीन्सीतान्वेषणकांक्षया । विदितायां तु वैदेह्या लंकायां वायुसूनुना

Transliteration

prasthāpayāmāsa kapīnsītānveṣaṇakāṃkṣayā | viditāyāṃ tu vaidehyā laṃkāyāṃ vāyusūnunā

Translation

In Sehnsucht nach der Suche nach Sītā entsandte er die Affen. Und als durch den Sohn des Windes bekannt wurde, dass Vaidehī in Laṅkā war,

Word by Word

• प्रस्थापयामास: dispatched/sent forth
• प्रस्थापयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√स्था/स्था (धातु) (णिच्-प्रयोजक)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative: caused to set forth/dispatched)

• कपीन्: monkeys
• कपीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सीता: Sītā
• सीता: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (समासपूर्वपद/उपपद), एकवचन (in compound)

• अन्वेषणकांक्षया: out of desire to search
• अन्वेषणकांक्षया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वेषण (प्रातिपदिक; अनु√इष्/√इष्) + काङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक; √काङ्क्ष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अन्वेषणस्य काङ्क्षा)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• विदितायाम्: when (she/it was) known
• विदितायाम्: Kāla/Condition (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित (प्रातिपदिक; √विद्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when it was known)

• वैदेह्याः: of Vaidehī (Sītā)
• वैदेह्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-संबद्ध (of Vaidehī)

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वायुसूनुना: by the son of Vāyu (Hanumān)
• वायुसूनुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वायोः सूनुः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu–Laṅkā-mārga (narrative sacred corridor)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sugrīva dispatches vānara bands in different directions; later, Hanumān (son of the Wind) returns with the crucial knowledge that Sītā is in Laṅkā—suggesting a shift from searching uncertainty to confirmed destination.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Laṅkā
• Hanumān (Vāyu-sūnu)
• Vānaras
• Sugrīva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion joined with courageous effort reveals truth; the faithful messenger becomes an instrument of divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Laṅkā is named as the place where Sītā is found; within Setukhaṇḍa, this discovery propels the sacred Setu undertaking associated with Rāmeśvaram.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.