Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तयोरेकेन रामस्तु ससीतः सहलक्ष्मणः । जटाधरः प्रव्रजतां वर्षाणीह चतुर्दश

Transliteration

tayorekena rāmastu sasītaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ | jaṭādharaḥ pravrajatāṃ varṣāṇīha caturdaśa

Translation

Par l’une de ces grâces : que Rāma, avec Sītā et Lakṣmaṇa, portant les cheveux en nattes emmêlées, parte en exil pour quatorze années.

Word by Word

• tayoḥ: of the two (boons)
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकयोः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), द्विवचनम्

• ekena: by one (of them)
• ekena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• rāmaḥ: Rāma
• rāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• sa-sītāḥ: together with Sītā
• sa-sītāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सह’ अर्थे अव्ययीभाव-समासः (with Sītā)

• sa-lakṣmaṇaḥ: together with Lakṣmaṇa
• sa-lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सह’ अर्थे अव्ययीभाव-समासः (with Lakṣmaṇa)

• jaṭādharaḥ: wearing matted hair
• jaṭādharaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहिर्विशेषणम्

• pravrajatām: let (him) go forth (into exile)
• pravrajatām: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vraj (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; आज्ञार्थे (let (him) depart)

• varṣāṇi: years
• varṣāṇi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम्; कालपरिमाणम्

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (here)

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्; संख्या (fourteen)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaikeyī’s boon articulated: Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa envisioned with jaṭā and ascetic garb, poised at the threshold between palace and forest.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through renunciation and obedience to rightful duty, even when it demands personal loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it narrates the vow-like exile period central to dharmic exemplarity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the ‘fourteen years’ functions as a dharmic vow-framework rather than a ritual rule.