Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सीतायाश्च तदा भर्तुर्मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम् । माघशुक्लद्वितीया यां दिनैः सप्तभिरष्टमीम्

Transliteration

sītāyāśca tadā bharturmāyāmūrdhādidarśanam | māghaśukladvitīyā yāṃ dinaiḥ saptabhiraṣṭamīm

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സീതയ്ക്ക് ഭർത്താവിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള മായാമയ ദർശനം കാണിക്കപ്പെട്ടു—ശിരസ്സ് മുതലായവ പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ച്. മാഘ ശുക്ല ദ്വിതീയ മുതൽ ഏഴ് ദിവസങ്ങൾ കഴിഞ്ഞ് അഷ്ടമി എത്തി।

Word by Word

• सीतायाः: of Sītā
• सीतायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम्: seeing the illusory head etc.
• मायामूर्धादिदर्शनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + मूर्धन् + आदि + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: मायया (मायिकं) मूर्ध-आदि-दर्शनम् (तत्पुरुष; 'आदि' समाहारसूचक)

• माघशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: on the second (lunar day) of Māgha bright fortnight
• माघशुक्लद्वितीयायाम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + शुक्ल + द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य द्वितीया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• याम्: which (day)
• याम्: Karma/Anvaya (Relative link)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• दिनैः: by days; in days
• दिनैः: Karana (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सप्तभिः: by seven
• सप्तभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (सङ्ख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अष्टमीम्: the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टमीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā in the Aśoka grove is shown a terrifying illusion—Rāma’s severed head and tokens—crafted by rākṣasa māyā; Sītā’s face shows shock and grief yet inner resolve, with protective deities subtly implied.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (implied as bhartṛ)
• Māyā (illusion)
• Māgha (Śukla pakṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā can shake even the steadfast; dharma calls for inner clarity and faith beyond deceptive appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse concerns events in Laṅkā and the moral theme of illusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the tithi references function as narrative dating.