Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा रघुश्रेष्ठो राक्षसेन्द्रं विभीषणम् । दशरात्रं तत्र तस्थौ लंकायां वानरैः सह

Transliteration

evamuktvā raghuśreṣṭho rākṣasendraṃ vibhīṣaṇam | daśarātraṃ tatra tasthau laṃkāyāṃ vānaraiḥ saha

Translation

Après avoir ainsi parlé à Vibhīṣaṇa, seigneur des Rākṣasas, le plus illustre de la lignée de Raghu demeura là, à Laṅkā, dix nuits durant, avec les Vānaras.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having said’

• रघु-श्रेष्ठः: the best of the Raghu line
• रघु-श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रघोः श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राक्षस-इन्द्रम्: the lord of rākṣasas
• राक्षस-इन्द्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राक्षसानाम् इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विभीषणम्: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (राक्षसेन्द्रम् इत्यस्य समनाधिकरण)

• दश-रात्रम्: for ten nights
• दश-रात्रम्: Kala-adhikarana/Duration (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालावधि (accusative of duration)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तस्थौ: stayed
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वानरैः: with monkeys
• वानरैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Laṅkā-smṛti-sthāna (Rāma’s ten-night stay)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, surrounded by vānaras, remains in Laṅkā for ten nights; the mood is calm after victory—campfires, repaired pavilions, and a subdued cityscape; companions gather for counsel and remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Laṅkā
• Vānaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After victory, dharma expresses itself through steadiness, reconciliation, and orderly transition—not merely conquest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the narrative prepares the transition from Laṅkā to Setubandha–Rāmeśvara, the tīrtha focus of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; it is narrative context leading toward Śiva installation and tīrtha worship.