Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

सेतोर्दशम्यामारंभस्त्रयोदश्यां समापनम् । चतुर्दश्यां सुवेलाद्रौ रामः सेनां न्यवे शयत्

Transliteration

setordaśamyāmāraṃbhastrayodaśyāṃ samāpanam | caturdaśyāṃ suvelādrau rāmaḥ senāṃ nyave śayat

Translation

The building of the bridge began on the tenth tithi and was completed on the thirteenth. On the fourteenth, upon Mount Suvela, Rāma stationed his army.

Word by Word

• सेतोः: of the bridge (causeway)
• सेतोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• दशम्याम्: on the tenth (tithi)
• दशम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• आरम्भः: beginning
• आरम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; आरम्भ < आ-√रभ् (धातु) + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (tithi)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• समापनम्: completion
• समापनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समापन (प्रातिपदिक; समापन < सम्-√आप्/√अप् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• सुवेलाद्रौ: on Mount Suvela
• सुवेलाद्रौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवेल-अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (सुवेलः अद्रिः)

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सेनाम्: the army
• सेनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• न्यवेśयत्: encamped / made (them) settle
• न्यवेśयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-अव-√शि/√विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense understood in usage: 'to encamp/settle'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-bandha; Suvela-giri

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vānaras building the Setu beginning on Daśamī and finishing on Trayodaśī; on Caturdaśī Rāma’s army encamped on Mount Suvela overlooking Laṅkā.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Setu (bridge)
• Suvela (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma manifests through coordinated effort—what seems impossible becomes possible when guided by righteous purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘Setu’ (bridge) and Suvela are highlighted as sacred landmarks in the Rāma tradition, foundational to later Setu/Rāmeśvaram-oriented sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse records the sacred timetable (tithis) of the bridge-building and encampment.