Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

वानरैर्बध्यमाने तु सेतावंबुधिमध्यतः । चिंतयन्मनसा सीतामेकांते सममंत्रयत्

Transliteration

vānarairbadhyamāne tu setāvaṃbudhimadhyataḥ | ciṃtayanmanasā sītāmekāṃte samamaṃtrayat

Translation

സമുദ്രമദ്ധ്യേ വാനരന്മാർ സേതു പണിയുമ്പോൾ, രാമൻ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ സീതയെ ധ്യാനിച്ച് ഏകാന്തത്തിൽ രഹസ്യമായി ആലോചന നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• वानरैः: by the monkeys
• वानरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• बध्यमाने: while (it) was being bound/built
• बध्यमाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बध्य (√बन्ध् धातु, कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), सप्तमी एकवचन (अधिकरणे) — Present passive participle, Locative Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/समुच्चय-भेदक — particle (but/indeed)

• सेतौ: on the bridge
• सेतौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• अम्बुधि-मध्यतः: from the middle of the ocean
• अम्बुधि-मध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अम्बुधि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय — Genitive tatpurusha + ablatival adverbial suffix; “from the middle of the ocean”

• चिन्तयन्: thinking
• चिन्तयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तय (√चिन्त् धातु, वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: परस्मैपदी, वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा एकवचन पुं — Present active participle, Nominative Singular Masculine

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• सीताम्: Sītā
• सीताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• एकान्ते: in private
• एकान्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• सम्: together/fully
• सम्: Sambandha (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग — verbal prefix (together/fully)

• अमन्त्रयत्: consulted/spoke (counsel)
• अमन्त्रयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, Active, 3rd person Singular

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha / Rāma-setu (Setu-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied) / addressed brāhmaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Moonlit seashore: vānaras hauling stones and timber to form the causeway; Rāma slightly apart in a quiet enclave, hand to chest, eyes inward remembering Sītā, while key allies gather for confidential counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Vānaras
• Setu
• Ocean
• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is pursued with inner remembrance and disciplined strategy; sacred works (like Setu) arise from focused resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāma-setu and its oceanic setting, central to the Setukhaṇḍa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the construction of the Setu and Rāma’s private deliberation.