Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

निरुद्धतोयं सौमित्रे करिष्यामि क्षणादहम् । सशंखशुक्ताजालं हि समीनमकरं शनैः

Transliteration

niruddhatoyaṃ saumitre kariṣyāmi kṣaṇādaham | saśaṃkhaśuktājālaṃ hi samīnamakaraṃ śanaiḥ

Translation

«O Saumitrī, im Nu werde ich seine Wasser zurückhalten; und nach und nach wird es zu einer Masse aus Muschelhörnern und Schalen werden, mit seinen Fischen und Makara bloßgelegt.»

Word by Word

• निरुद्धतोयम्: water that is blocked; blocked waters
• निरुद्धतोयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरुद्ध (कृदन्त; क्त, रुध् + निर्) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (निरुद्धं तोयं यस्मिन्/यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सौमित्रे: O Saumitri (Lakshmana)
• सौमित्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमित्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• करिष्यामि: I will make/do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• क्षणात्: in a moment; within an instant
• क्षणात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अवधी/कालार्थे

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सशंखशुक्ताजालम्: with nets of conches and oysters (i.e., full of them)
• सशंखशुक्ताजालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपपद/सह) + शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-समासार्थ: शंखैः शुक्ताभिः च युक्तं जालम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (समुद्र/तोयम् प्रति)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• समीनमकरम्: with fish and makaras
• समीनमकरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपपद/सह) + मीन (प्रातिपदिक) + मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-समासार्थ: मीनैः मकरैः च युक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शनैः: slowly; gradually
• शनैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-samudra-tīra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma declares he will restrain the waters; the ocean is imagined receding, exposing conches, shells, fish, and makaras—an apocalyptic shoreline tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitrī)
• Ocean
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Śukti (shell)
• Mīna (fish)
• Makara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is invoked not for cruelty but to remove obstruction to dharmic purpose; nature itself is addressed as accountable to cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukhaṇḍa’s oceanfront setting tied to the Setu/Rāmeśvaram pilgrimage memory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes intended coercive action against the ocean after failed upāsanā.