Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं सूत महाभाग रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । सेतुर्बद्धो नदीनाथे ह्यगाधे वरुणालये

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ sūta mahābhāga rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā | seturbaddho nadīnāthe hyagādhe varuṇālaye

Translation

Les ṛṣis dirent : «Comment, ô Sūta fortuné, Rāma aux actes sans peine a-t-il édifié le pont sur le seigneur des fleuves, l’océan insondable, demeure de Varuṇa ?»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural), परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• अक्लिष्टकर्मणा: by (him) whose deeds are untroubled/effortless
• अक्लिष्टकर्मणा: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-क्लिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); बहुव्रीहि (अक्लिष्टं कर्म यस्य सः) रामस्य विशेषणम्

• सेतुः: the bridge (Setu)
• सेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• बद्धः: bound/built
• बद्धः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); सेतुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नदीनाथे: in the lord of rivers (the ocean)
• नदीनाथे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (नदीनां नाथः = समुद्रः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• अगाधे: in the unfathomable (one)
• अगाधे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-गाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier) नदीनाथे

• वरुणालये: in Varuṇa's abode (the sea)
• वरुणालये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (वरुणस्य आलयः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (as bridge-site)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of sages addresses Sūta with reverence, asking how Rāma built the bridge across the vast ocean; behind them, a visionary glimpse of the roaring sea and the emerging stone causeway.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Rāma
• Varuṇa
• Ocean (nadīnātha)
• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history (itihāsa) is invoked to reveal the divine origin and sanctity of Setu through Rāma’s exemplary action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāma-setu/Setu-tīrtha, connected to the ocean regarded as Varuṇa’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a sacred narrative explaining the tīrtha’s origin.