Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

रुरोध च पुरीं लंकां सीतार्थं शुभलक्षणः । तृतीयादिदशम्यंतं निवेशश्च दिनाष्टकः

Transliteration

rurodha ca purīṃ laṃkāṃ sītārthaṃ śubhalakṣaṇaḥ | tṛtīyādidaśamyaṃtaṃ niveśaśca dināṣṭakaḥ

Translation

സീതാർത്ഥം ശുഭലക്ഷണനായ രാമൻ ലങ്കാപുരിയെ ഉപരോധിച്ചു. തൃതീയ മുതൽ ദശമി വരെ എട്ടുദിവസം പാളയം നിലനിന്നു.

Word by Word

• रुरोध: besieged / blocked
• रुरोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लङ्काम्: Lanka
• लङ्काम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सीतार्थम्: for Sita’s sake
• सीतार्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सीतायाः अर्थः = हेतु/प्रयोजनम्)

• शुभलक्षणः: of auspicious marks
• शुभलक्षणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ-लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (शुभं लक्षणं यस्य)

• तृतीयात्: from the third (tithi)
• तृतीयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (तिथिवाचक)

• आदि: beginning with
• आदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; आद्यर्थक (meaning 'beginning with')

• दशम्यन्तम्: up to the end of the tenth (tithi)
• दशम्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशमी-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दशम्याः अन्तः)

• निवेशः: encampment / stay
• निवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवेश (प्रातिपदिक; निवेश < नि-√विश् (धातु) + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दिनाष्टकः: a period of eight days
• दिनाष्टकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन-अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक; अष्टक = अष्टन् + क प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दिनानाम् अष्टकः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Laṅkā-kṣetra (siege perimeter)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma lays siege to golden Laṅkā for Sītā’s sake; the army encamps from the third day to the tenth—orderly tents, watchfires, and vigilant vānaras.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Laṅkā
• Sītā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous purpose (protecting and restoring the innocent) legitimizes strength; dharma guides even warfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Laṅkā is referenced as the narrative locale; this verse is more historical-chronological than tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records the duration of the siege/encampment in tithi-based time.