Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

समीपवर्तिनं चेदं लक्ष्मणं प्रत्यभाषत । अद्य मद्बाणनिर्भिन्नैर्मकरैर्वरुणालयम्

Transliteration

samīpavartinaṃ cedaṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ pratyabhāṣata | adya madbāṇanirbhinnairmakarairvaruṇālayam

Translation

Er sprach zu Lakṣmaṇa, der in der Nähe stand: »Heute, wenn die Makara von meinen Pfeilen durchbohrt sind, werde ich Vāruṇas Wohnstatt, den Ozean, …«

Word by Word

• समीपवर्तिनम्: standing nearby
• समीपवर्तिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे वर्तते इति); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• इदम्: this (one)
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लक्ष्मणम्: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रत्यभाषत: spoke to; addressed
• प्रत्यभाषत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्रति

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitive sense) अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (stem form in compound); 'my'

• बाण: arrows
• बाण: Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• निर्भिन्नैः: pierced; split open
• निर्भिन्नैः: Instrument (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग) → निर्भिन्न (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मकरैः सह)

• मकरैः: by crocodiles/makara-creatures
• मकरैः: Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वरुणालयम्: Varuna’s abode (the sea)
• वरुणालयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वरुणस्य आलयः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-tīra (Varuṇālaya-sannidhi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma turns to Lakṣmaṇa at his side, speaking with controlled fury; the ocean stretches vast behind, with imagined makaras beneath the waves; Rāma’s hand gestures toward the sea as he declares his intent.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Varuṇa
• Makara
• Ocean

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership in dharma includes decisive communication and readiness to act when sacred duty is obstructed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu coastal arena where Rāma confronts the ocean—integral to the Setu/Rāmeśvaram sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a martial declaration within a dharmic objective (mārga-siddhi).