Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

येन केनाप्युपायेन सेतुं गच्छेन्नरो मुदा । अशक्तो दक्षिणां दत्त्वा गमयेद्वा द्विजोत्तमम्

Transliteration

yena kenāpyupāyena setuṃ gacchennaro mudā | aśakto dakṣiṇāṃ dattvā gamayedvā dvijottamam

Translation

Par quelque moyen que ce soit, qu’un homme aille avec joie à Setu. S’il ne le peut, qu’il offre la dakṣiṇā convenable et envoie à sa place un brāhmane éminent.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• केन: by any (means)
• केन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative/indefinite pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• उपायेन: by a means/method
• उपायेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• सेतुम्: to Setu (the bridge/Setubandha)
• सेतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• अशक्तः: unable
• अशक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• दक्षिणाम्: a fee/donation (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• गमयेत्: should cause (someone) to go / should send
• गमयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• द्विजोत्तमम्: the best Brahmin
• द्विजोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारय-समास (श्रेष्ठः द्विजः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual, Setukhaṇḍa narration to ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Setu-tirtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, eager yet constrained, offers dakṣiṇā and requests an eminent brāhmaṇa to undertake the Setu pilgrimage on his behalf; in the background, the sea-shore tirtha with pilgrims and a distant line of stones suggesting the Setu.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Make sincere effort to reach the sacred tīrtha; when physically unable, support dharma through charity and delegated pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu—Rāma-setu/Setu-tīrtha, praised as a pilgrimage destination of great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving dakṣiṇā and sending a qualified brāhmaṇa to undertake the pilgrimage on one’s behalf.