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

„Hundert Yojanas sind wir gekommen, und doch ist dieses (Meer) selbst im Gedanken schwer zu überwinden. Darum entstehen viele Hindernisse; wie also kann Maithilī erreicht werden?“

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.