Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 158

Devanagari script

शरयूसलिलं रामः पद्भ्यां स समुपास्पृशत् । ततो ब्रह्मा सुरैर्युक्तः स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे

Transliteration

śarayūsalilaṃ rāmaḥ padbhyāṃ sa samupāspṛśat | tato brahmā surairyuktaḥ stotuṃ samupacakrame

Translation

Dann berührte Rāma mit seinen Füßen die Wasser der Sarayū; darauf begann Brahmā, von den Göttern begleitet, ihn mit Hymnen zu preisen.

Word by Word

• शरयूसलिलम्: the water of the Sarayū
• शरयूसलिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरयू + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शरय्वाः सलिलम् = water of the Sarayū)

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (emphatic he)

• समुपास्पृशत्: touched / bathed (by touching)
• समुपास्पृशत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारण/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुरैः: with the gods
• सुरैः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• युक्तः: accompanied
• युक्तः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (joined/attended)

• स्तोतुम्: to praise
• स्तोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) → स्तोतुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थक (in order to praise)

• समुपचक्रमे: began
• समुपचक्रमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Deductive: Brahmā to Nārada (Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa framing); narrative leading into Brahmā’s stuti

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū (Ayodhyā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma stands at the Sarayū’s edge, gently touching the water with his feet; ripples glow. Above and around, Brahmā with four faces and the assembled devas raise hands in praise, forming a semicircle of light.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sarayū
• Brahmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a tirtha sanctifies transitions, and divine praise (stuti) is the natural response to the Lord’s sacred act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarayū river at Ayodhyā, explicitly highlighted through Rāma’s contact with its holy waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A tirtha-contact act is implied (upasparśa/snana-related reverence), followed by stuti (hymnic praise) as devotional worship.