Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सीतामन्विष्य लंकायां रात्रौ गतभयो भवान् । अदृष्ट्वा जानकीं पश्चादशोकवनिकां ययौ

Transliteration

sītāmanviṣya laṃkāyāṃ rātrau gatabhayo bhavān | adṛṣṭvā jānakīṃ paścādaśokavanikāṃ yayau

Translation

Cherchant Sītā dans Laṅkā, de nuit, tu allais sans crainte ; et ne voyant pas Jānakī, tu te rendis ensuite au bosquet d’Aśoka.

Word by Word

• सीताम्: Sītā
• सीताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्विष्य: having searched for
• अन्विष्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√इष्/एष् (धातु; अन्वेषणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाल

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

• गतभयः: fearless
• गतभयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (√गम्, क्त) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास ('whose fear has gone' = fearless), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भवान्)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• अदृष्ट्वा: not having seen
• अदृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (negative gerund: 'not having seen'), पूर्वकाल

• जानकीम्: Jānakī (Sītā)
• जानकीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रमवाचक (afterwards)

• अशोकवनिकाम्: Aśoka grove
• अशोकवनिकाम्: Karman (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वनिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('Aśoka-grove'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Rāma (addressing Hanūmān)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśoka-vana (Laṅkā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic interlocutor(s) (unspecified here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hanumān searches Laṅkā fearlessly at night; failing to find Sītā at first, he proceeds to the Aśoka grove—moonlit trees, quiet tension, hope rising.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Hanūmān
• Sītā
• Jānakī
• Laṅkā
• Aśokavanikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fearlessness arises from single-pointed commitment to dharma; perseverance continues even after initial failure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu Māhātmya context ties these events to the sanctity of the Setu region and its remembrance of Rāma’s salvific mission.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative praise rather than a ritual directive.