Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विभीषण उवाच । मया पूर्वं प्रतिज्ञातं रामस्य पुरतः किल । रामेश्वरमतिक्रम्य न गतव्यं धरातले

Transliteration

vibhīṣaṇa uvāca | mayā pūrvaṃ pratijñātaṃ rāmasya purataḥ kila | rāmeśvaramatikramya na gatavyaṃ dharātale

Translation

Vibhīṣaṇa dit : Jadis, en vérité, j’ai fait un vœu en présence même de Rāma : «Après être parvenu à Rāmeśvara, on ne doit pas aller au-delà sur cette terre.»

Word by Word

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr/Agent (Agent/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + ज्ञा (धातु) → प्रतिज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (impersonal ‘it was promised’)

• रामस्य: of Rāma
• रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पुरतः: in the presence of/before
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (prepositional adverb ‘in front of’, governs genitive)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/quotative particle)

• रामेश्वरम्: Rāmeśvara (name/place)
• रामेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रामस्य ईश्वरः/रामेण स्थापित ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अतिक्रम्य: having passed beyond
• अतिक्रम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• गतव्यम्: to be gone/should be gone
• गतव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गन्तव्य/गतव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive/obligation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (impersonal obligation)

• धरातले: on the earth’s surface
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धरायाः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A messenger (dūta) / interlocutor in the narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa, dignified and calm, speaks of his vow before Rāma; in the background, a vision of Rāma’s court and the sea-bridge/Setu leading to Rāmeśvara as a luminous boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāma
• Rāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow made before a righteous witness (like Rāma) must be upheld; tīrthas like Rāmeśvara are treated as dharmic boundaries deserving reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram (Rāmeśvara), highlighted as a decisive sacred point linked with Rāma and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical/ritual: do not transgress (atikrama) the sanctity and vow connected to Rāmeśvara; honor one’s pratijñā.